Court Visitor Title 11.130.195 - Minor Guardianship

Title 11.130.185 Minor Guardianship Cases

Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 11.130.195 requires a court visitor to be appointed in Minor Guardianship Petitions when

• one or more of the children is 12 or older and does not have a lawyer.
• the petitioner says a parent waived their right to notice
• the petitioner says they were unable to serve a parent

Roles & Responsibilities

Under the direction of the court, the Court Visitor performs an investigation and prepares a report for the court of the GAL's findings and recommendations. The Court Visitor's responsibilities and duties are set forth by statute, court rule and the order appointing the GAL. The Court Visitor appointed in a Minor Guardianship case is paid by Superior Court.

The Court Visitor is ordered to investigate and file a report on the following issues checked below. 

• Meet with the minor/s and explain the rights outlined in the Notice of Hearing.  Find out the children’s views about the guardianship or guardian. Inform the court if the minor wants access to all documents filed in this case.
• Decide if a parent who was not served can be located with reasonable effort.
• Interview the petitioner and the minor.
• Confirm whether a parent consents to guardianship.

Court Visitor 11.130. 195 Registry

Pierce County Superior Court maintains a list for Title 11.130.195 Court Visitors. The Court selects the next Court Visitor from the list for insertion into the Order Appointing Court Visitor. A Court Visitor appointed in a Minor Guardianship case submits an invoice to Superior Court Administration for the investigation.