FRANKFORT Ky., Sept. 30, 2025– Kentucky attorneys interested in serving as guardians ad litem and parent attorneys are invited to a legal training hosted by the Administrative Office of the Courts in November. Registration is required.
GALS are court-appointed attorneys who represent children in dependency, neglect and abuse court cases. Separate attorneys are appointed to represent parents in DNA proceedings. The training is to help attorneys better understand the impact of the court system and of GALS and parent attorneys on the people they represent.
GALS and parent attorneys are required to complete the AOC legal training per FCRPP 37(1) of the Supreme Court of Kentucky’s Family Court Rules of Procedure and Practice, a comprehensive set of statewide rules and standards governing court-appointed attorneys in child welfare cases.
DNA Trainings
Nov. 7, 2025
Kenton County Justice Center
230 Madison Ave.
Covington, KY 41011
Time: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST, subject to change.
Nov. 14, 2025
Robert F. Stephens Circuit Courthouse
120 North Limestone
Lexington, KY 40507
Time: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST, subject to change.
Nov. 21, 2025
Paducah Innovation Hub
500 South 25th Street
Paducah, KY 42003
Time: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. CST, subject to change.
GAL Training
The AOC’s Legal Training for Dependency, Neglect and Abuse Cases program offers training seminars, educational materials and other resources to produce highly qualified guardians ad litem. The curriculum focuses on Kentucky statutory, case law and the federal requirements outlined in the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Adoption and Safe Families Act.
More than 8,000 children in the commonwealth are in state custody after being removed from their homes due to dependency, neglect or abuse. Federal and state laws mandate that these children be placed in permanent homes. GALS play an important role in ensuring that these children receive fair and expeditious attention from the judicial system and are placed in appropriate homes.
Administrative Office of the Courts
The AOC is the operations arm of the Judicial Branch (Kentucky Court of Justice) and supports the activities of nearly 3,000 employees and 412 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks and executes the Judicial Branch budget.
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