GUARDIAN AD LITEM AND PARENT COORDINATORS  

WHEN AND HOW TO USE EACH EFFECTIVELY

7:30 - 8:00 AM -  Meet and talk with other professionals

 Share ideas - Enjoy a full breakfast buffet

8:00 - 9:30 AM - Lecture and discussion

When should a guardian ad litem be appointed, or does a case need a parent coordinator? What are the ramifications for each role with respect to privilege, access to the children and records, family conflict and communication with attorneys? How can divorce professionals choose and work with a GAL or PC to achieve the best outcome for the family? Two experienced professionals will discuss these and other issues related to GALs and PCs.

Speakers:

Jane Appell, PhD

Jane Appell is a psychologist in private practice in Concord, Massachusetts. She is the author of Divorce Doesn’t Have to be That Way; A Handbook for the Helping Professional (Impact Publishers, 2006). Dr. Appell has over 30 years of experience working with families of divorce as a psychotherapist, mediator, parenting coordinator, collaborative divorce coach, and child custody evaluator. She is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Tufts Medical Center and is a board member and past president of the Massachusetts Association of Guardians Ad Litem. She is a frequent presenter at professional conferences and workshops on various aspects of divorce work. 

Stephen Shapse, PhD 

Dr. Shapse is in full time private forensic practice in Lincoln, Massachusetts specializing in divorce/custody issues, and psychological assessment. He is one of the four principal founders of the Massachusetts Association of Guardians ad Litem and continues to serve on its Board of Directors. He has been performing Guardian ad Litem investigations for over two decades. Dr. Shapse has been qualified as an expert witness in both state and Federal Courts for criminal, civil and child custody matters. Dr. Shapse graduated Syracuse University in 1969. He earned his Masters in 1974 and Doctorate in 1980 from Boston College