GAL

nerdzilla16 · 2025-07-21T00:15:09+00:00

Be honest. You can admit flaws, but state how you will improve on them. Show interactions and knowledge of kids. DO NOT make it into a bash session for your ex or soon to be ex. Keep it focused on the kids and their best interest.

ApprehensiveSpare925 · 2025-07-20T14:05:26+00:00

I am in a 50/50 state. About the only way you cannot get this is if you a pedo, domestic violence, child abuse. My STBXW went for 100% custody and I went for, and got, 50/50.

Your attorney should met with you before your GAL appointment. They should know and have experience with what the GAL will want to discuss. Turned out my attorney and the GAL were friends; her and her spouse went out regularly with him and his spouse.

The irony is there might be a change of custody in my favor. My STBXW punched our son a few times. She is also refusing surgery for our daughter to fix her lazy eye. If she doesn’t get this surgery she could go blind in that eye. Medical neglect is a form of child abuse. There are other things she did but those are the most concerning to me. My kids and I met with the GAL a few weeks ago. Court is this Friday.

What the GAL recommends is what the judge usually follows. Just be respectful and don’t say bad things about your ex. Focus on the positives. My GAL figured out pretty quickly that my ex was the problem.

Spare-Lifeguard-440 · 2025-07-20T13:35:19+00:00

GAL is just a more aggressive mediator, who may or may not be biased against you.

They're going to pick out the weaker one or the one they just don't like and try to force an agreement.

Do some research on them, and about their background.

Basic questions I was asked,

Have the police ever been involved in your marriage?

Do you have any criminal convictions or are you currently being tried for any crimes.

Do you pick up and drop off the children from school on your parenting time

How much do you make

Will you accept less than equal parenting

Then a pressure sell, in my state you can have like a almost 60-40 and child support is still near 0, so they lean on that, let's make a deal she gets what she's wants you get close to what you want and little to no CS.

He tipped his hand to me tho, he said "she's unreasonable and very emotional person"

I told him I wouldn't accept less then 50/50 time and decision making, if we need to go to trial or 604B evals I'm ready

My ex's behavior sank her with the GAL.

Stick to the facts answer quickly and short.

Do not agree to anything and don't agree to anything less then equal time, as long as they don't have any real dirt on you I wouldn't worry about the GAL.

fewdo · 2025-07-20T11:40:14+00:00

I think all my GAL did was sit in on the 10 minutes we had an front of the judge.

No_Pace2396 · 2025-07-20T09:35:10+00:00

My experience with the GAL was pretty awful. She never talked to me, but I’d go at it as if I was in an interrogation room with homicide detectives for a murder i had nothing to do with. Remain cool and calm, think before you speak. My lawyer called GALs gods, and once mine got in her head what she wanted there was nothing that could be done.

Title	GAL
Author	Odd_Ice1253
Upvotes	2
Comments	8
Date	July 19, 2025 3:37 AM UTC (1 year ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/Divorce_Men
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/Divorce_Men/comments/1m3map2/gal/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/Divorce_Men/gal.1557659 https://theredarchive.com/post/1557659

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