The rest of what we have written about Arizona. Every figure is quoted from Arizona’s own statute or its courts’ own published schedule, and carries the date we last checked it.
Guardians ad litem and child representation in Arizona: who they are, what they owe your child, and who pays
If custody is contested in Arizona, the court can appoint someone to look into your family and report to the judge. This page is what Arizona’s own statutes and court rules say about who that person is, what duty they owe, and — the part almost nobody asks in time — who pays for them.
See a different stateArizona
Everything below is traced to Arizona’s own statute or court rule, quoted where the wording matters. Where we could not verify something from a primary source, the page says so in plain terms rather than filling the space. This is information, not legal advice. Corrections go up at thecusp.app/corrections.
What the role is called here
Names matter more than they look. A guardian ad litem generally argues for what they judge is best for your child and is not your child’s lawyer. An attorney for the child argues for what your child actually wants. Those are opposite duties. The four roles, explained in full.
How an appointment happens
The court may appoint an attorney to represent the interests of a minor or dependent child with respect to the child’s support, custody and parenting time.
Source: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 25-321 · source
What duty they owe your child
Arizona authorizes the appointment but we could not find statutory language stating whether the appointee follows your child’s wishes or their own view of your child’s best interests. That distinction decides what they will tell the judge. Where the statute is silent it is usually settled by case law or local practice — so ask the appointee directly, at the first meeting, which standard they are applying. It is a fair question and a revealing one.
Who can be appointed
Section 25-321 authorizes the court to appoint ‘an attorney’ to represent the child’s interests; the role created by this statute is explicitly an attorney appointment.
Who pays
The court may enter an order for costs, fees and disbursements in favor of the child’s attorney. The order may be made against either or both parents. / the court shall allocate cost based on the financial circumstances of both parties.
Source: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 25-321; § 25-406(B) · source
We searched and found no provision in Arizona waiving or shifting these fees for a party who cannot pay them. That does not prove none exists — courts have general fee-waiver powers — but there is no dedicated protection we could point you to. Raise it early if it applies to you.
We looked for an official Arizona fee schedule for privately appointed guardians ad litem and custody evaluators, and did not find one. That is true of almost every state — only Minnesota and Massachusetts publish figures, and both are subsidised program rates rather than market ones.
The numbers circulating online come from law-firm marketing pages. We will not repeat those as though they were sourced. Call your county family court clerk and ask what appointees there actually charge. It is local, current, and free.
Custody evaluations
Arizona governs court-ordered custody evaluations and investigations separately from the appointment of a guardian ad litem. An evaluator is a witness, not an advocate — and their recommendation is a recommendation, not a ruling a judge is bound by.
Source: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 25-406 · source
Before an evaluation begins, it is worth asking which psychological instruments will be used. The peer-reviewed literature is openly critical of several still in circulation — one has interrater reliability reported as ranging from 50% to 100%. The evidence, in full.
The thing worth knowing about Arizona
Persons who investigate or report under § 25-406, and any court-appointed attorney for a child under that section, must complete state-mandated minimum training: six initial hours on domestic violence, six initial hours on child abuse, and four hours every two years thereafter on both topics.
What we could not verify
For Arizona we could not confirm the following from a primary source, and we would rather say so than guess:
- what duty the appointee owes
If you practice in Arizona and can point us at the right provision, tell us. Corrections are published with the date, what changed, and how long the error was live.
Other states
Related
- Guardians ad litem, child’s attorneys and custody evaluators — the four roles, the science, and what to ask
- Arizona child custody — how custody is decided here
- Getting your finances in order — including who pays the lawyers
- Co-parenting — after the order is made