CHILDREN & FAMILIES
|
|
Guardian Ad Litem Services
The Oklahoma Guardian Ad Litem Institute (OKGALI) is a non-profit organization. We provide guardian ad litem (GAL) services to families in Oklahoma who do not have the income and/or resources to afford a private GAL in family law courts.*
At OKGALI, we represent children in divorce cases, paternity cases, custody modification cases, visitation modification cases, relocation cases, and any other cases in Oklahoma where custody and/or visitation of minor children are at issue between the parents in family law courts.
*Note: We do not represent children who are in the Department of Human Services custody or children in cases in juvenile courts.
At OKGALI, we represent children in divorce cases, paternity cases, custody modification cases, visitation modification cases, relocation cases, and any other cases in Oklahoma where custody and/or visitation of minor children are at issue between the parents in family law courts.
*Note: We do not represent children who are in the Department of Human Services custody or children in cases in juvenile courts.
Steps to Working with Us
All of the following steps must be completed and approved, prior to us working on your case.
Step 1: Complete the qualification form.
To receive our services, your case must qualify financially AND both parents must live in the State of Oklahoma. We limit our representation to children in families in Oklahoma with parents having a combined gross household income and available resources of $75,000 a year or less. You must be pre-qualified before OKGALI can be appointed in your case. To get pre-qualified for our guardian ad litem services, both sides of a case must fill out our qualification form completely.
Note: After you submit the form, we’ll review and make a determination about your case. This may take some time.
Step 2: Receive an email confirmation.
Once we’ve reviewed the qualification form from both parents and made a determination about your case, we’ll email you letting you know if we can accept your case. Then, you’ll need to file an order appointing OKGALI (see step 3).
Step 3: Complete and file “order appointing us”.
After you’ve received an email from us saying your case qualifies for our guardian ad litem services, we will email you our order that you must print, complete, obtain the judge's signature, file and send us a filed copy of the order before we can begin any services.
Note: A Court Minute stating that we are appointed in a case is NOT sufficient - we MUST have a filed copy of our Order.
Step 4: Fax or email us a filed copy of the order appointing OKGALI.
Once the order appointing OKGALI is filed, fax or email us a filed copy of the order so that we know it has been entered.
Step 5: Welcome and instructions letter sent.
Once we receive a filed copy of our standard order appointing us, we will send out a welcome and instruction letter to the attorneys in the case, or any party that is not represented by an attorney, within one (1) week of receiving the order. That welcome and instruction letter will let you know what you need to do next, which includes submitting some on-line intake forms.
Step 6: Parents complete online in-take forms.
Both parents will be emailed links to complete their online intake forms.
Step 7: OKGALI work begins.
Once we receive both parents’ online intake forms, we will contact each parent to schedule appointments to meet with the guardian ad litem assigned to the case.
Step 1: Complete the qualification form.
To receive our services, your case must qualify financially AND both parents must live in the State of Oklahoma. We limit our representation to children in families in Oklahoma with parents having a combined gross household income and available resources of $75,000 a year or less. You must be pre-qualified before OKGALI can be appointed in your case. To get pre-qualified for our guardian ad litem services, both sides of a case must fill out our qualification form completely.
Note: After you submit the form, we’ll review and make a determination about your case. This may take some time.
Step 2: Receive an email confirmation.
Once we’ve reviewed the qualification form from both parents and made a determination about your case, we’ll email you letting you know if we can accept your case. Then, you’ll need to file an order appointing OKGALI (see step 3).
Step 3: Complete and file “order appointing us”.
After you’ve received an email from us saying your case qualifies for our guardian ad litem services, we will email you our order that you must print, complete, obtain the judge's signature, file and send us a filed copy of the order before we can begin any services.
Note: A Court Minute stating that we are appointed in a case is NOT sufficient - we MUST have a filed copy of our Order.
Step 4: Fax or email us a filed copy of the order appointing OKGALI.
Once the order appointing OKGALI is filed, fax or email us a filed copy of the order so that we know it has been entered.
Step 5: Welcome and instructions letter sent.
Once we receive a filed copy of our standard order appointing us, we will send out a welcome and instruction letter to the attorneys in the case, or any party that is not represented by an attorney, within one (1) week of receiving the order. That welcome and instruction letter will let you know what you need to do next, which includes submitting some on-line intake forms.
Step 6: Parents complete online in-take forms.
Both parents will be emailed links to complete their online intake forms.
Step 7: OKGALI work begins.
Once we receive both parents’ online intake forms, we will contact each parent to schedule appointments to meet with the guardian ad litem assigned to the case.
