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MANDATORY Probate & Family Court Category E & Category F Training to Remain on Fee-Generating List for 2023: Gain Valuable Insights into How to Make Your Next Category E or F Appointment Better, More Effective, and More Valuable to the Parties, Attorneys and Court

  • Training

  • 4 Hours
  • Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc. (MCLE)
  • ID: 5835503
This program presents an essential analysis and in-depth discussion of the many components inherent in Category E & F guardian ad litem appointments and their practical applications for guardians ad litem and attorneys, including how to interpret the order of appointment; what type of intake/questionnaire forms could or should be used; how bias can play a role throughout a GAL appointment; what makes a useful GAL report; and waiver of privilege from the view of the guardian and the view of the Category E/F GAL. Practice tips are offered by seasoned Category E and F GALs and Probate and Family Court Judges and staff. A representative from the Administrative Office of the Probate and Family Court (AOPFC) will answer the most frequently asked questions from guardians ad litem.

Course Content

9:30 am - 10:00 am
  • Logistics of Fee Generating Appointments in the Probate and Family Court
  • Denise M. Fitzgerald, Esq., Probate and Family Court Administrative Office, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
10:00 am - 11:00 am
  • The Use of Intake/Questionnaire Forms in GAL Evaluations and Investigations
  • How to interpret the Order of Appointment • Intake/Questionnaire Forms
  • Linda Medeiros, Esq., Law Office of Linda Medeiros, Danvers
  • Thomas D. Ritter, Esq., Atwood & Cherny, PC, Boston
  • Talia N. Simonds, Esq., Clapp Family Law LLC, Wellesley Hills
11:00 am - 11:15 am
  • Break
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
  • How to Write a Useful GAL report
  • What makes a useful GAL report? • Does your report show hidden biases?
  • Kelly Flynn Zawistowski, Hampden Probate and Family Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Springfield
  • Dr. Robert A. Zibbell, Ph.D., Robert A. Zibbell, Ph.D., Monument Beach
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
  • Probate & Family Court Category E & Category F Training: Nuances of Privilege
  • Guardian to assert or waive appointment • Importance of understanding privilege in a GAL evaluation/investigation
  • Dr. Mira Z. Levitt, Ph.D., Co-Parenting Assessment Center, Natick
  • Linda Medeiros, Esq., Law Office of Linda Medeiros, Danvers
  • Thomas D. Ritter, Esq., Atwood & Cherny, PC, Boston
  • Please Note
  • MCLE webcasts are delivered completely online, underscoring their convenience and appeal.
  • There are no published print materials. All written materials are available electronically only.

Speakers

Cochairs
  • Diane J. Beswick, Esq., Probate and Family Court Administrative Office, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
  • Denise M. Fitzgerald, Esq., Probate and Family Court Administrative Office, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Boston
Faculty
  • Dr. Mira Z. Levitt, Ph.D., Co-Parenting Assessment Center, Natick
  • Linda Medeiros, Esq., Law Office of Linda Medeiros, Danvers
  • Thomas D. Ritter, Esq., Atwood & Cherny, PC, Boston
  • Talia N. Simonds, Esq., Clapp Family Law LLC, Wellesley Hills
  • Kelly Flynn Zawistowski, Hampden Probate and Family Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Springfield
  • Dr. Robert A. Zibbell, Ph.D., Robert A. Zibbell, Ph.D., Monument Beach