Ad litem is a term used in law to refer to a party appointed by a court to act in a lawsuit on behalf of another party – for instance, a child or an incapacitated adult – who is deemed incapable of representing themselves. An individual who acts in this capacity is called a guardian ad litem. This term is no longer used in the United Kingdom since the passage of the Children Act 1989, which established the role of children's guardian instead. Law (a loanword from Old Norse lagu), in politics and jurisprudence, is a set of rules or norms of conduct which mandate, proscribe or permit specified relationships among people and organizations, intended to provide methods for ensuring the impartial treatment of such people, and provide punishments of/for those who... The Children Act 1989 is a British Act of Parliament that altered the law in regard to children. ...
The term is also used in property litigation, where a person may be appointed to act on behalf of an estate in court proceedings, when the estate's proper representatives are unable or unwilling to act.
The term is also sometimes used to refer to a judge which only participates in a particular case or a limited set of cases, and does not have the same status as the other judges of the court. This is more commonly called a judge ad hoc. It is particularly common in international courts, and is rarer elsewhere.
The Latin term translates literally as "for the lawsuit". Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...
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Representing Children Worldwide How Children Are Heard in Child Protective Proceedings
Guardians adlitem are often appointed in divorce cases to represent the interests of the minor children.
In these situations, the guardian adlitem is charged to represent the best interest of the minor child which can differ from the position of the state or government agency as well as the interest of the parent or guardian.
Guardians adlitem are also sometimes appointed in probate matters to represent the interests of unknown or unlocated heirs to an estate.
The guardian adlitem is given information from social workers and other authorities and may perform additional investigations as needed before making a recommendation to the court.
The guardian adlitem should meet with the parents, making it clear that he or she is not their attorney and information they provide will not be held in confidence.
The guardian adlitem should also investigate any possible problems that could harm the child, such as drug or alcohol abuse or the battering of a spouse, if the child were placed with the family.
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