16-1614. APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN AD LITEM, COUNSEL FOR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, COUNSEL FOR CHILD. (1) In any proceeding under this chapter for a child under the age of twelve (12) years, the court shall appoint a guardian ad litem for the child or children and shall appoint counsel to represent the guardian ad litem, unless the guardian ad litem is already represented by counsel. If a court does not have available to it a guardian ad litem program or a sufficient number of guardians ad litem, the court shall appoint counsel for the child. In appropriate cases, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem for the child and counsel to represent the guardian ad litem and may, in addition, appoint counsel to represent the child.
(2) In any proceeding under this chapter for a child twelve (12) years of age or older, the court:
(a) Shall appoint counsel to represent the child and may, in addition, appoint a guardian ad litem; or
(b) Where appointment of counsel is not practicable or not appropriate, may appoint a guardian ad litem for the child and shall appoint counsel to represent the guardian ad litem, unless the guardian ad litem is already represented by counsel.
(3) Counsel appointed for the child under the provisions of this section shall be paid for by the county unless the party for whom counsel is appointed has an independent estate sufficient to pay such costs.
History:
[(16-1614) 16-1618, added 1976, ch. 204, sec. 2, p. 743; am. 1982, ch. 186, sec. 17, p. 500; am. 1985, ch. 177, sec. 1, p. 459; am. 1989, ch. 281, sec. 2, p. 687; am. 2001, ch. 107, sec. 18, p. 368; am. and redesig. 2005, ch. 391, sec. 16, p. 1278; am. 2013, ch. 221, sec. 1, p. 521.]