LGALR 5. Grievances Made by or Against Guardians Ad Litem

(a) Filing a Grievance. A guardian ad litem having a complaint or a person having a grievance against a guardian ad litem shall complete a complaint in a form approved by the court and file it with the Registry Manager.
(1) The Registry Manager shall immediately deliver the complaint to the presiding judge or to such person designated by the presiding judge to resolve such complaints. Such designee shall be a judge of the King County Superior Court.
(2) Upon receipt of the complaint, the Presiding Judge may retain the matter for decision or assign it to a designee for decision.
(b) Procedure for Processing Complaint. The presiding judge or designee will make an initial determination as to whether the complaint has potential merit. If potential merit is found, a response to the complaint will be requested, and the complaining party will be given an opportunity to reply to the response. The Presiding Judge or designee may schedule a hearing, request additional materials, or enter a decision based upon a review of the record alone. The decision of the presiding judge or designee shall be the final resolution of the complaint. If the complaint relates to a pending case the complaint shall be resolved within 25 days of the receipt of the complaint. If the complaint is made subsequent to the conclusion of a case, the complaint shall be resolved within 60 days of receipt.
(c) Remedies. If the complaint is sustained, in whole or in part, the court may suspend or remove of the guardian ad litem from the Registry; or impose other appropriate sanctions. During the pendency of this process the Guardian ad Litem may continue to receive appointments and shall continue to serve in appointed cases, unless otherwise provided by order of the Presiding Judge or designee.
(d) Fair Treatment of Grievances. All notices, proceedings and other activities taken pursuant to the grievance process shall observe provisions for fair treatment, due process, notice, the right to be heard and the appearance of fairness.
(e) Confidentiality. The complaint, investigation, report and all aspects of the grievance process shall remain confidential until merit is found.
(f) Records of Grievances. The court shall maintain a record of grievances filed and of any sanctions issued pursuant to the court's grievance procedure.
(g) Notice to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). When a Guardian ad Litem is removed from a Registry pursuant to the disposition of a grievance, the Registry Manager shall promptly send notice of the removal to AOC.

[Adopted effective September 1, 2003.]