Olympia, Wash. — Parents in six Washington counties filed 31 grievances against court-appointed guardians ad litem in 2024 and 2025, and only four were found to have merit, according to an InvestigateWest review published by the Washington State Standard. The state’s Administrative Office of the Courts said it had not been notified of a single guardian being removed from a county registry in the past five years.
Guardians ad litem, known as GALs, are appointed to investigate custody disputes and recommend where children should live. Judges often rely heavily on their reports. Washington courts have appointed GALs in more than 7,100 family law cases since 2020, according to court data obtained by InvestigateWest reporter Kelsey Turner.
Complaints go to the same court that appointed the guardian
Under Washington’s superior court rules, a parent who believes a GAL acted with bias or got the facts wrong must file a grievance with the same court that is hearing the custody case. Parents told InvestigateWest they feared complaining would hurt them in front of the judge deciding their case. The review covered King, Snohomish, Pierce, Thurston, Cowlitz and Clark counties.
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Even when complaints were upheld, the consequences were limited. In Thurston County, a review board found that GAL Meredith Gerhart’s report about mother Stephanie Maya did not show “independence, objectivity, or the appearance of fairness,” according to the Standard. The report had portrayed Maya as an abuser, relying on unverified claims from her abusive ex-partner, OPB reported. Gerhart was ordered to issue a correction and complete two hours of training, but the report remained in the case file. Maya’s ex-boyfriend pleaded guilty in February 2026. Gerhart declined to comment, citing the active case.
In Clark County, a father said a GAL threatened to “take you to the wall” if he took his concerns to court and then contacted his supervisors at work, OPB reported. The GAL was removed from the case in October 2024 and admonished. She still works as a GAL, and her report stayed in the case.
Thin training, high fees
Washington law requires GALs to complete a statewide training of three and a half days. Continuing education varies by county, and there are no standardized qualifications. Private GALs can charge as much as $300 an hour, the Standard reported. One Snohomish County mother estimated her GAL cost about $8,000; that guardian lost contact with the court for more than a year and resigned before a grievance was filed, which limited any sanction.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Alicia Burton told InvestigateWest it is hard for a judge to criticize a respected GAL. Pierce County is the only county that posts GAL registry applications online.
We probably do need to have a commission or some sort of review of the GAL statute.
Rep. Jamila Taylor, chair, House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee, to InvestigateWest
A system that grades its own work
The findings describe a closed loop. The court appoints the guardian, the court relies on the guardian’s report, and the court decides whether the guardian did anything wrong. A parent who objects risks being seen as uncooperative, and a flawed report can follow a family for years even after it is found biased. None of that is fixed by more appointments or higher fees. It requires independent review, public discipline records and a way to strike discredited reports from the case. Parents facing a GAL for the first time can read FAN’s overview of how guardians ad litem work and how to respond to their reports.
What’s next
Legislators discussed gaps in GAL oversight at a December 2025 work session, but no changes had been made as of the reporting, OPB said. The Administrative Office of the Courts is exploring better training. No bill was described in the reports.
Key facts
- 31 grievances filed against GALs in 2024-2025 across six Washington counties; 4 found to have merit
- No GAL removals from a county registry reported to the Administrative Office of the Courts in five years
- GALs appointed in more than 7,100 Washington family law cases since 2020
- Grievances must be filed with the same superior court hearing the custody case
- Required statewide training: three and a half days; no standardized qualifications
- Private GAL rates reach up to $300 an hour
- Rep. Jamila Taylor has floated a commission or statutory review
Sources
- Washington State Standard / InvestigateWest — Washington courts rarely discipline guardians ad litem accused of misconduct in custody cases (2026-03-25)
- OPB — New reporting on Washington’s child welfare system finds court-appointed guardians have minimal oversight (2026-03-27)
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