Press Release
Probate and Family Court Department

CONTACT:

Mark R. Quigley, Administrative Attorney (617) 788-6600

FOR RELEASE ON: March 17, 2003

Probate and Family Court Announces Mandatory Domestic Violence Training for All Guardians Ad Litem in Child Welfare Cases
          

          The Probate and Family Court Administrative Office in conjunction with the Administrative Office of the Trial Court, Boston Medical Center and Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) will be presenting a series of mandatory six (6) hour domestic violence training programs. All guardians ad litem certified in either Category E, guardians ad litem/evaluators or under Category F, guardians ad litem/investigators, guardians ad litem/next friend, pursuant to Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:07, must attend one of the training sessions in order to receive further appointments under Categories E and F. There will be no charge to attend this training.

          Some of the topics that will be covered will include the impact of domestic violence on children, the role of the guardian ad litem in cases involving allegations of domestic violence, the impact of domestic violence on parenting, report writing and parental alienation. Chief Justice Dunphy said "We believe a uniform training concerning domestic violence for guardians ad litem involved in child welfare cases will be beneficial to all guardians ad litem and better enable them to assist the judges in making decisions in the best interests of the children affected by litigation in the Probate and Family Court."

          For persons who were on the Category E or F lists prior to January 1, 2003, this training will satisfy the six-hour of continuing professional education requirement for 2003. Any person who has applied and been accepted to either the Category E or F lists after January 1, 2003, must also take another six-hour professional education course during 2003 in either the child custody/visitation field for Category E or the domestic relations/custody, adoption fields for Category F.

          The first training will be held at MCLE, Ten Winter Place, Boston on:

          April 15, 2003 1:30 - 4:30 P.M. and April 29, 2003 1:30 - 4:30 P.M.

          Attendance at BOTH sessions is mandatory in order to satisfy the six-hour continuing professional education requirement for 2003. There will be subsequent trainings held during 2003 in the Worcester, Plymouth/Bristol, and Springfield areas. To sign up for the training in Boston please reply to Jamie Ann Sabino at the Administrative Office of the Trial Court via email at
sabino_ j1@jud.state.ma.us* by April 8, 2003.

* please note that the email address listed above has an underscore ( _ ) in between the "sabino" and "j1"