Abstract:
This bulletin discusses the appointment of guardians ad litem for parents in juvenile abuse, neglect, dependency, and termination of parental rights proceedings. In addition to the question of when the court should appoint a guardian ad litem for a parent, judges and attorneys have struggled to understand the role the guardian ad litem should play once appointed. The bulletin discusses the guidance provided by the N.C. Court of Appeals in In re P.D.R., ___ N.C. App. ___, 737 S.E.2d 152 (Dec. 18, 2012) and questions that remain.