What to Expect from a Guardian ad Litem
My question involves a child custody case from the State of: Michigan
OK, so the ex and I went to court for her violating the no contact order with her BF and my children.
I had withheld visitation for 8 weeks, this was the 3rd time she violated this order.
Judge asked what was going on, I explained my side. The ex stated then told the judge that she was dropping the kids off at her neighbors and the kids and the BF "may have crossed in passing." I told the judge that our 5 y/o said he is spending the night. Judge looked at ex and said "this is a problem for you"
Judge then reduced her parenting time to supervised visitation, she asked me where I wanted the visits to take place. I told the judge that the maternal grandmothers house would be ok. The judge agreed. The FOC "family counselor" whom hates me since day one, said the no contact order needs to be dropped because "the BF only has a domestic violence conviction". The judge looked over the file and said that "it looks like he has much more than that...felony assault, drugs, robbery, very nice"
The judge then appointed a Guardian Ad Litem to determine parenting time and weather or not the BF is safe to be around the kids. The family counselor piped in and recomended I bare the sole responsibility for the fees of the GAL. I objected and the judge agreed to 50/50. This family counselor is awful. She is clearly bias against me. She told the GAL that the ex be given 8 makeup parenting time days, and the ex got a raw deal in the divorce judgement with parenting time and it needs to be changed. Never mind that this was a stipulated deal that the ex agreed to(she sees them 1 day per week) The GAL said he will address makeup parenting time later.
At any rate, we met with the GAL briefly in the backroom. He appeared impartial and professional. My ex has lost her trailer home. She refused to tell anyone where she was living (I have figured out she is living in a 3/4 house with her BF). The GAL said to her "I want to come to your home" and he said to me "you can meet me in my office" and told her to "get a job and get working"
I guess my questions are:
What can I expect from a GAL. This was 2 weeks ago, I haven't heard from him, I have even called him and he didn't return the call.
Can the courts change parenting time at this point? I was under the impression that their must be "clear and convincing evidence" of significant detrimental change to the children. Ex is saying she wants them 3 days/week. I would think if the courts had a problem with the stipulated parenting time agreement we made, a year ago, that the judge wouldn't have signed the order. In addition, my ex had a lawyer, and he objected to her signing the order, so she fired him, in court.
The ex has no established custodial environment whatsoever. She has lost 3 jobs in the last year, lost her home, lives in a 3/4 house, BF is a violent felon with a drug record. She is 5 months in arrears on her support.
I have the same job, the same house, take care of the kids.
I guess I don't really understand what is going on here.