ABOUT
The South Carolina Children's Guardian Services (SCCGS) provides the requisite 6-hour and 12-hour training programs for individuals who are seeking to become qualified to serve as private guardians ad litem in South Carolina family court matters. Unlike volunteer guardians ad litem, guardians ad litem who are appointed in private cases are paid a fee as determined by the court.
Participants are able to earn all 12 hours of their initial training requirements in one weekend through the SCCGS. Participants may also choose to complete two separate 6-hour sessions to meet the 12-hour requirement. Participants can sign up for one day of the 12-hour session or a single 6-hour session to satisfy their continuing legal education requirement. The cost for 12 hours of training is $400 per person, and the cost for 6 hours of training is $200.
The 2019 material and curriculum for this training have been approved for continuing legal education credit by the South Carolina Supreme Court of Continuing Legal Education and Specialization. The training material is copyrighted and will be provided to all registrants in a professional binder.
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SCCGS and its trainers do not represent that completion of the training requirements will guarantee that qualified guardians ad litem will be appointed by the court. The SCCGS training team includes one or more attorneys, but enrollment in training sessions through SCCGS does not create an attorney-client relationship between the attorney(s) and the program participants. The training team cannot provide legal advice or representation through the trainer-trainee relationship and will not discuss specific matters which are statutorily confidential. SCCGS is not affiliated with the Cass Elias McCarter Guardian ad litem program, Richland County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), the Department of Social Services (DSS), or the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). SCCGS does not offer training for volunteer guardians ad litem who seek appointment with the volunteer Guardian ad litem program, CASA, DSS, or DJJ matters.
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TRAINING TEAM
Family Court Lawyer
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Kathryn J. Walsh, J.D., is a licensed attorney with the Greenville County and South Carolina Bar Associations. She has twenty-four years of experience as a family court litigator and is certified as a Family Court Mediator.