Our Services

Yes. After conducting separate intake interviews with each parent, the GAL will meet with the child(ren) privately. To ensure a comfortable environment, our office features a dedicated kids’ room. The length, location, and frequency of these meetings vary depending on the specific sensitivities and needs of the case.

This depends heavily on your child’s age and how much they know about the court proceedings. For younger children, it is reasonable to explain that the GAL is someone who knows both parents and wants to meet them to see how they are doing. For older children, you can share that the GAL is an independent professional asked by the court to check in on them privately. Parents must not discuss or influence a child’s feelings, impressions, or desires regarding the active court case.

No. Under Oklahoma law, a child never makes the final legal decision regarding custody or visitation. However, the Judge is always interested in the child’s perspective. For children aged 12 or older, the Judge is required to consider the child’s preference, but the ultimate ruling is always decided based strictly on the child’s best interests.

No. A GAL has the power to file motions, review confidential records, and issue strategic recommendations, but they cannot force a parent to do anything. Only the assigned Judge holds the authority to alter or enforce legal custody, visitation, or support orders.

• Be Concise and Organized: You are billed for every phone call, meeting, and email. Grouping your updates into one comprehensive weekly email is much more cost-effective than making multiple phone calls.
• Focus on Relevance: Ensure the evidence or communications you forward are directly relevant to the child’s welfare, as reviewing documentation is billed hourly.
• Be Proactive: Gathering school transcripts, attendance summaries, and medical records yourself is often much faster and more affordable than asking our office to track them down.

Any important life changes should be shared with your child’s Guardian Ad Litem, including:

• Notice of disciplinary action from their school, daycare, church, or any other institution.
• Changes in behavior or emotional outbursts, such as fits of anger or violence.
• Progress or breakthroughs in school or counseling.
• Documentation and/or comments made by the child relating to any sexual or physical abuse prior to or at any point during the case.
• Any medical diagnoses for the child, along with documentation of its history, such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, anger management, gastrointestinal issues, ENT-related issues, ODD, PTSD, and OCD.
• Major disagreements between the parties or ongoing fights that affect the child.

The GAL cannot assist with child support calculations, legal disputes regarding the allocation of GAL fees (which are ruled upon exclusively by the Judge), or provide general legal advice. If you wish to file an emergency custody modification, please refer directly to your private attorney.

Legal custody refers to the right to make major life decisions for your child, such as medical care, schooling, and religious upbringing. It can be shared (joint) or given to one parent (sole).

Physical custody refers to where the child actually lives on a day-to-day basis and how visitation schedules are divided.

In Oklahoma, there is a mandatory waiting period before a divorce can be granted. For couples without minor children, the waiting period is typically 10 days. If minor children are involved, the law requires a 90-day waiting period, though this can sometimes be waived by a judge under specific circumstances.

Yes, but you must prove that a “permanent, substantial, and material change in circumstances” has occurred in the time since the original order was signed. The change must directly impact the child’s well-being, and the parent requesting that modification must show that a new schedule is in the child’s best interests.

When someone dies without a Will or Trust in place, their estate is distributed according to Oklahoma’s intestate succession laws. This means the state uses a rigid, legal formula to divide assets among spouses, children, or relatives. This default process often requires lengthy court involvement and may not align with your true wishes or family dynamics.

Absolutely. In fact, you should review your plan every few years or whenever you experience a major life transition. Significant milestones—such as marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, purchasing a home, or a substantial change in your financial situation—are all critical times to update your Will, Trust, or beneficiary designations to ensure your plan still protects what matters most.

Yes. If you leave assets directly to a minor through a Will, the court will typically manage the funds until they turn 18, at which point they receive the entire lump sum. By using a Trust, you can appoint a trustee to manage the money for them and set specific rules for how and when the funds are distributed—such as releasing portions for college tuition, or delaying full access until they reach milestones like ages 25 or 30.