(1) A county board may create a county guardian ad litem division to carry out section 43-272.01.

Terms Used In Nebraska Statutes 23-3901

  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • Attorney: shall mean attorney at law. See Nebraska Statutes 49-801
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.

(2) The county board shall appoint a division director for the guardian ad litem division. The division director shall be an attorney admitted to practice law in Nebraska with at least five years of Nebraska juvenile court experience as a guardian ad litem for children, including both trial and appellate practice experience, prior to appointment. The division director may appoint assistant guardians ad litem and other employees as are reasonably necessary to permit him or her to effectively and competently fulfill the responsibilities of the division, subject to the approval and consent of the county board. All assistant guardians ad litem shall be attorneys admitted to practice law in Nebraska and shall comply with all requirements of the Supreme Court relating to guardians ad litem.

(3) All assistant guardians ad litem employed by the division shall devote their full time to the work of the division and shall not engage in the private practice of law so long as each assistant guardian ad litem receives the same annual salary as each deputy county attorney of comparable ability and experience receives in such counties.

(4) The director and any assistant guardian ad litem employed by the division shall not solicit or accept any fee for representing a child in a case in which the director or the assistant guardian ad litem is already acting as the child’s court-appointed guardian ad litem.