Section 25-62.Appointment of Guardian Ad Litem

Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026

In one sentenceThis section lets the court appoint a guardian ad litem for a minor, defaults to a family relations counselor, and sets the qualifications — licensure, no criminal record, no child abuse registry listing, twenty hours of preservice training, and approval by the standing committee — with review every three years.

Full Text of Section 25-62

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d)

(a) The judicial authority may appoint a guardian ad litem for a minor involved in any family matter. Unless the judicial authority orders that another person be appointed guardian ad litem, a family relations counselor shall be designated as guardian ad litem. The guardian ad litem is not required to be an attorney.

(b) With the exception of family relations counselors, no person may be appointed as guardian ad litem unless he or she:

(1) Is an attorney in good standing, licensed to practice law in the State of Connecticut by the Judicial Branch; or

(2) Is a mental health professional, licensed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and in good standing, in the areas of clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, professional counseling, psychology or psychiatry; or

(3) Is a mental health professional, licensed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and in good standing, in an area other than clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, professional counseling, psychology or psychiatry, who has been approved as eligible to serve as a guardian ad litem by the standing committee on guardians ad litem and attorneys for the minor child in family matters. Such approval may be requested by submitting an application containing the following information to the standing committee for its consideration:

(A) The area of mental health in which the applicant is licensed and in good standing;

(B) A statement as to whether the applicant’s practice incorporates the topics of family dynamics, childhood development and adjustment, communicating with children, trauma, addiction, and domestic violence including a detailed description of the way in which these topics are incorporated;

(D) Any other information the applicant believes will assist the standing committee in making a fully informed decision regarding the request. The standing committee may contact the applicant to obtain clarification or further discuss the application. The standing committee shall review the application and provide a written decision to the applicant. The standing committee’s decision will be based upon a majority vote and shall be final. The applicant may not request reconsideration or further review once the standing committee has issued its decision,

(4) Provides proof that he or she does not have a criminal record;

(5) Provides proof that he or she does not appear on the Department of Children and Families’ central registry of child abuse and neglect;

(6) Completes a minimum of twenty hours of preservice training as determined by the standing committee on guardians ad litem and attorneys for the minor child in family matters;

(7) Meets any additional qualifications established by the standing committee on guardians ad litem and attorneys for the minor child in family matters; and

(8) Applies, provides proof of the foregoing items and is approved as eligible to serve as a guardian ad litem by the standing committee on guardians ad litem and attorneys for the minor child in family matters.

(c) The status of all individuals deemed eligible to be appointed as a guardian ad litem in family matters shall be reviewed by the standing committee on guardians ad litem and attorneys for the minor child in family matters every three years. To maintain eligibility, individuals must:

(1) Certify that they have completed twelve hours of relevant training within the past three years, three hours of which must be in ethics;

(2) Disclose any changes to their criminal history;

(3) Certify that they do not appear on the Department of Children and Families’ central registry of child abuse and neglect; and

(4) Meet additional qualifications as determined by the standing committee on guardians ad litem and attorneys for the minor child in family matters.

(d) The judicial authority may order compensation for services rendered by a court-appointed guardian ad litem. (P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 484.)

End

Amendment History

(Amended June 20, 2011, to take effect Jan. 1, 2012; amended June 24, 2016, to take effect Jan. 1, 2017; amended June 12, 2025, to take effect Jan. 1, 2026.) HISTORY—2026: What had been subdivision (b) (1) was split into two subdivisions by adding ‘‘(2)’’ after ‘‘or,’’ by capitalizing ‘‘Is’’ before ‘‘a mental health professional,’’ and by adding ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘psychiatry;.’’ Additionally, what is now subdivision (b) (3) was added, and what had been subdivisions (b) (2) through (6) were redesignated as subdivisions (b) (4) through (8), respectively.

Rules Committee Commentary

COMMENTARY—2026: The changes to this rule allow a mental health professional, licensed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, and in good standing, in an area other than clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, professional counseling, psychology or psychiatry, to be appointed by the court as a guardian ad litem in family matters, if approved as eligible by the Standing Committee on Guardians Ad Litem and Attorneys for the Minor Child in Family Matters.

Plain-English Summary

The appointment. The judicial authority may appoint a guardian ad litem for a minor involved in any family matter. Unless it orders otherwise, a family relations counselor is designated, and the guardian ad litem need not be an attorney.

Who else may serve. Apart from family relations counselors, a person may be appointed only if they are an attorney in good standing licensed in Connecticut, or a mental health professional licensed by the Department of Public Health and in good standing in clinical social work, marriage and family therapy, professional counseling, psychology or psychiatry — or in another mental health area, if the standing committee has approved them as eligible.

That third route has its own application: it states the area of licensure; whether and how the applicant’s practice incorporates family dynamics, childhood development and adjustment, communicating with children, trauma, addiction and domestic violence; that the applicant complies with the rest of the section; and anything else the applicant thinks will help. The committee may seek clarification, decides by majority vote, gives a written decision, and that decision is final with no reconsideration or further review.

What everyone must show. Proof of no criminal record; proof of not appearing on the Department of Children and Families’ central registry of child abuse and neglect; completion of a minimum of twenty hours of preservice training as the standing committee determines; any additional qualifications the committee has established; and an application with proof of all of it, approved by the committee.

Staying eligible. The committee reviews everyone’s status every three years. To maintain eligibility a person certifies twelve hours of relevant training within the past three years, three of which must be in ethics; discloses any changes to their criminal history; certifies they do not appear on the child abuse and neglect registry; and meets any additional qualifications.

Payment. The judicial authority may order compensation for services rendered by a court-appointed guardian ad litem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can be a guardian ad litem in a Connecticut family case?

A family relations counselor by default; otherwise a Connecticut-licensed attorney in good standing, or a licensed mental health professional in the listed fields, or one in another mental health field approved by the standing committee.

Does a guardian ad litem have to be a lawyer?

No. The guardian ad litem is not required to be an attorney.

What training is required?

A minimum of twenty hours of preservice training as determined by the standing committee, and to stay eligible, twelve hours of relevant training within the past three years, three hours of which must be in ethics.

How often is eligibility reviewed?

Every three years, by the standing committee.

Who pays the guardian ad litem?

The judicial authority may order compensation for services rendered by a court-appointed guardian ad litem.

Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 25-62). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. · Official source

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