Rule 6 - Limited AppointmentsThere may be situations where the court wishes to appoint a person in addition to, or instead of, a guardian ad litem to fulfill very limited roles. This will help avoid conflict of interest situations for guardians ad litem serving in a case and will limit the time and expense spent on cases which do not require a guardian ad litem. A person appointed pursuant to this rule is strictly limited to the duties of the role below selected by the court. If the order of appointment does not specifically designate a limited appointment as listed below, the person appointed is presumed to be a guardian ad litem, subject to the Guardian ad Litem Rules. The court may make the following limited appointments:
(a) Mediator. The court may either appoint or refer to a person or agency whose role is to assist the parties in reaching an agreement about any or all contested issues in the case. (b) Evaluator. The court may appoint or refer to a person or agency for evaluation and findings regarding a specific issue or issues including but not limited to mental health, substance abuse, issues of abuse or neglect, cultural factors, and sexual deviancy. (c) Visitation supervisor. The court may appoint or refer to a person or agency to supervise visits and report findings to the court. (d) Settlement of minors' claims. The court may appoint a person for the limited purpose described in Special Proceedings Rules (SPR) 98.16W. (e) Other. Under exceptional circumstances, upon good cause shown, the court may make other limited appointments as it deems necessary. Wash. Super. Ct. Guard. Ad Lit. R. 6
Adopted effective 11/27/2001.