(a) The court shall appoint a guardian ad litem whenever: (1) An alleged delinquent child appears before the court without his or her parent, guardian, or legal custodian;(2) It appears to the court that a parent, guardian, or legal custodian of an alleged delinquent child is incapable or unwilling to make decisions in the best interests of such child with respect to proceedings under this article such that there may be a conflict of interest between such child and his or her parent, guardian, or legal custodian; or(3) The court finds that it is otherwise in a child's best interests to do so.(b) The role of a guardian ad litem in a delinquency proceeding shall be the same role as provided for in all dependency proceedings under Article 3 of this chapter.(c) In a delinquency proceeding, a child's parent, guardian, legal custodian, or attorney shall not prohibit or impede the child's guardian ad litem's access to such child.Amended by 2014 Ga. Laws 635,§ 1-36, eff. 4/28/2014.Added by 2013 Ga. Laws 127,§ 1-1, eff. 1/1/2014.
Georgia Legal Code