{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-7505-1.2","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 10, § 10-7505-1.2","heading":"Appointment of attorney and guardian ad litem","body":"A. 1. In a proceeding pursuant to the Oklahoma Adoption Code,\n\nthe court shall appoint an attorney for a minor in a contested\n\nproceeding pursuant to the Oklahoma Adoption Code and may appoint an\n\nattorney for a child in an uncontested proceeding or appoint an\n\nattorney for the child to examine all expenses and attorney fees\n\npresented to the court for approval.\n\n2. The attorney shall be charged with the representation of the\n\nchild. To that end, the attorney shall make such further\n\ninvestigation as the attorney deems necessary to ascertain the\n\nfacts, to interview witnesses, examine and cross-examine witnesses\n\nat the preliminary hearing and trial, make recommendations to the\n\ncourt, and participate further in the proceedings to the degree\n\nappropriate for adequately representing the child.\n\n3. The attorney shall be given access to all reports relevant\n\nto the case and to any reports of examination of the child's parents\n\nor other custodian made pursuant to this section.\n\n4. Upon approval of the court, the attorney may be allowed a\n\nreasonable fee for services provided by this section.\n\nB. 1. The court may appoint a separate guardian ad litem for\n\nthe minor in a contested proceeding and shall appoint a separate\n\nguardian ad litem upon the request of a party, the minor, the\n\nattorney of the minor, prospective adoptive parent, or a person or\n\nagency having physical or legal custody of the child.\n\n2. The guardian ad litem shall not be a district attorney, an\n\nemployee of the office of the district attorney, an employee of the\n\ncourt, an employee of a juvenile bureau, or an employee of any\n\npublic agency having duties or responsibilities towards the minor.\n\n3. The guardian ad litem shall be appointed to objectively\n\nadvocate on behalf of the minor and act as an officer of the court\n\nto investigate all matters concerning the best interests of the\n\nminor. In addition to other duties required by the court and as\n\nspecified by the court, a guardian ad litem shall have the following\n\nresponsibilities:\n\na. review relevant documents, reports and other\n\ninformation,\n\nb. meet with and/or observe the child,\n\nc. consider the child's wishes, as appropriate,\n\nd. interview parents, caregivers and others with\n\nknowledge relevant to the case,\n\ne. advocate for the minor's best interests by\n\nparticipating in appropriate aspects of the case and\n\nadvocating for appropriate community and other\n\nservices when necessary,\n\nf. maintain the confidentiality of information related to\n\nthe case,\n\ng. monitor the minor's best interests throughout any\n\njudicial proceeding, and\n\nh. advise the court of his or her findings and\n\nrecommendations, if any, and the facts upon which they\n\nare based.\n\n4. The guardian ad litem shall be given access to the court\n\nfile and access to all records and reports relevant to the case and\n\nto any records and reports of examination of the minor's parent or\n\nother custodian, as specified by the court, subject to such\n\nprotective orders regarding identifying information as the court\n\ndeems advisable.\n\n5. Any person participating in a judicial proceeding as a\n\nguardian ad litem shall be presumed prima facie to be acting in good\n\nfaith and in so doing shall be immune from any civil liability that\n\notherwise might be incurred or imposed.","path":["OK Code","Title 10"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os10.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"66516948317b266e28edd85ab9a137b23a6cc65d988a3f1ceb932f170371b37c","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-7505-1.1","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-10-10-7505-1.3"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}