Florida statutes require the appointment of a guardian ad litem in specified legal situations, including dependency cases. The Guardian Ad Litem program was initially established in Florida in 1980 under the jurisdiction of the courts. In 2004, the statewide Guardian Ad Litem Office was created to provide infrastructure to and standardization among the local programs.  

The statewide Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program consists of staff and volunteers in 21 local programs.

• in all criminal cases in which there are charges of abuse, neglect, or abandonment or a child is a witness to a sexual offense committed against a minor;
• in all dependency cases in which a child is the victim of abuse, neglect, or abandonment; and
• in dissolution/custody cases involving verified allegations of abuse, neglect, or abandonment.

 The guardian ad litem in a dependency case carries out the following activities.

• Gathers information from the child, relevant records, and interviews with people in the child's life. 
• Regularly visits the child in their home environment.
• Provides thorough, up-to-date information and recommendations to the court on the child's best interests throughout the proceeding.

In Fiscal Year 2021-22, the Guardian ad Litem program represented an average of 24,993 children in Florida. The average is of 12 months of point-in-time data, from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. The program also certified 1,671 new volunteers.

Other Reports
2021 Annual Report, Florida Guardian ad Litem
2020 Annual Report, Florida Guardian ad Litem

Websites of Interest
National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

Performance Information

Statewide Guardian ad Litem Program, 850-922-7213
Website