Right to attorney guardian ad litem
In actions brought under the Uniform Parentage Act, “commenced under sections 210.817 to 210.852”, the court shall appoint a guardian ad litem for the child “if child abuse or neglect is alleged, or if the child is named as a defendant, or if the court determines that the interests of the child and his or her next friend are in conflict.” Mo. Stat. 210.830. A Supreme Court rule clarifies that “When appointing a guardian ad litem for a child, the court shall only appoint a lawyer licensed by the Supreme Court who has completed the training required by these standards.” Mo. Sup. Ct., Standards with Comments for Guardians Ad Litem in Missouri, Standard 1.0.
Standard 3.0 and its comments clearly “distinguish[ ] a GAL from a lawyer representing a child in the traditional sense[.]” See DeSpain v. DeSpain, — S.W.3d —-, 2025 WL 1688965 (Mo. Ct. App. June 17, 2025). Because the attorney serves in a best interest and not client-directed role, we have classified the right to counsel as “qualified.”
