Dec. 5, 2012 – State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE® has just issued the fourth edition of The Guardian ad Litem Handbook, a unique resource devoted exclusively to the role of the guardian ad litem (GAL) in Wisconsin. Available both in print and online via Books UnBound®, this comprehensive guide examines the role of the GAL, explains how to obtain appointments as a GAL, and provides step-by-step directions for the GAL in various proceedings, including family, juvenile, guardianship, protective services and protective placement, probate, and personal-injury cases. The book’s author-drafted forms and sample letters are ready to use on a CD-ROM included with the print book or through an online forms link for Books UnBound subscribers.
Legislative, Administrative, and Case Law Updates
The revised edition updates topical discussions throughout the book to reflect recent developments. Among them are amendments to statutes governing permanency planning for children placed in out-of-home care, and to statutes relating to persons with an intellectual disability. The revision also analyzes recent judicial decisions, such as the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s opinion in the Helen E.F. case, which addressed whether chapter 51 (Mental Health Act) or chapter 55 (Protective Service System) of the Wisconsin Statutes provides the more appropriate procedures for provision of care to persons with Alzheimer’s disease. The Handbook also discusses the ongoing expansion of Family Care, the Wisconsin program that administers long-term care for elderly persons and persons with physical and developmental disabilities.
Professional Insights into the Law and the Best Interests of the Client
The Guardian ad Litem Handbook contains valuable contributions by both attorney and nonattorney authors, who share their expertise involving children, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities, thus providing practical information for handling not only the legal issues that may arise for an attorney appointed as a GAL but the human side as well. Those authors – Joan N. Alschuler, Richard J. Auerbach, Rachel L.L. Caplan, Roy W. Froemming, Thomas R. Glowacki, Mitchell Hagopian, James R. Jansen, Kristin Kerschensteiner, Marlene A. Porter, Gretchen G. Viney, and Heather A. Wilson – provide insightful discussions about typical characteristics of children, elderly persons, and intellectually disabled adults as well as helpful techniques for GALs to use when interviewing clients.
Order Today
The Guardian ad Litem Handbook is available in print to members for $179 and to nonmembers for $229. Purchasers who subscribe to the State Bar of Wisconsin’s auto-supplementation service will receive future updates at 10 percent off the regular price. Annual subscriptions to Books UnBound start at $149 per title and $649 for the full library (single-user prices; call for law firm pricing). For more information, visit WisBar Marketplace or call the State Bar at (800) 728-7788 or (608) 257-3838.
