The Probate and Family Court Department is seeking applications from persons wishing to receive appointments as guardians ad litem/investigators or as guardians ad litem/next friends in domestic relations and state intervention cases involving child custody, visitation and adoption. Qualified applicants will be placed on lists maintained by the Court in accordance with Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:07.

          An applicant must be either (1) an attorney with at least three years experience practicing domestic relations law in the Probate and Family Courts of Massachusetts, including cases involving divorce, paternity, custody, visitation, adoption, child support, alimony and contempt, or (2) licensed to practice medicine or psychology, or an LICSW, LCSW, LSW social worker, or an LMFT, LRC, LMHC, with at least three years of experience conducting investigations on issues of child custody and visitation in paternity, guardianship of a minor, adoption, state intervention, divorce and post divorce cases.

          Attorneys on the list will also be eligible for appointment as counsel for incompetent divorce defendants and as guardians ad litem to commence contempt actions.

          Applications will be available in the Registries of Probate and Probation Offices in ALL Divisions beginning on January 8, 2001, for the following category which is known as Category F:

Domestic relations or custody/visitation/adoption cases - guardian ad litem/investigator,
G.L. c. 215, § 56A, c. 208, § 16; guardian ad litem/next friend, G.L. c. 201, § 36, Uniform
Practice Xa, Xb; counsel for incompetent divorce defendant, G.L. c. 208, § 15; or guardian
ad litem to commence contempt action, G.L. c. 215, § 56B.

APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED NO LATER THAN 5:00 P.M. ON
FEBRUARY 2, 2001