(705 ILCS 405/5-610) Sec. 5-610. Guardian ad litem and appointment of attorney. (1) The court may appoint a guardian ad litem for the minor whenever it finds that there may be a conflict of interest between the minor and the minor's parent, guardian, or legal custodian or that it is otherwise in the minor's interest to do so. (2) Unless the guardian ad litem is an attorney, the guardian ad litem shall be represented by counsel. (3) The reasonable fees of a guardian ad litem appointed under this Section shall be fixed by the court and paid from the general fund of the county. (4) If, during the court proceedings, the parents, guardian, or legal custodian prove that the minor has an actual conflict of interest with the minor in that delinquency proceeding and that the parents, guardian, or legal custodian are indigent, the court shall appoint a separate attorney for that parent, guardian, or legal custodian. (5) A guardian ad litem appointed under this Section for a minor who is in the custody or guardianship of the Department of Children and Family Services or who has an open intact family services case with the Department of Children and Family Services is entitled to receive copies of any and all classified reports of child abuse or neglect made pursuant to the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act in which the minor, who is the subject of the report under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, is also a minor for whom the guardian ad litem is appointed under this Act. The Department of Children and Family Services' obligation under this subsection to provide reports to a guardian ad litem for a minor with an open intact family services case applies only if the guardian ad litem notified the Department in writing of the representation. (Source: P.A. 103-22, eff. 8-8-23; 103-379, eff. 7-28-23; 103-605, eff. 7-1-24.) |