1982. Definition
“Guardian ad litem” means a person appointed by the court to determine, monitor and advance the best interests of a juvenile, other minor child or other incompetent individual, including a juvenile within the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Justice Act of 2008 or a child subject to proceedings pursuant to Title 6, Chapter 3 of the Commonwealth Code, 6 CMC § 5311 et seq., during the course of legal proceedings. “Guardian ad litem” does not mean the attorney for the juvenile, other minor child or other incompetent individual. Rather, the guardian ad litem is an officer of the court who reports directly to the court, and who provides independent advice to the court (as compared to the attorneys advocating for one side or the other in the action) to bring balance to the decisionmaking process.