---
title: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-476. Appointment of guardian ad litem.
collection: code
id: 15-11-476
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-476 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-476
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-476.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/15-11-476/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t15-ch1-11a-(v13)-2020-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=d8a8826c_0#page=1182
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: COURTS / JUVENILE CODE / DELINQUENCY / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 15-11-476. Appointment of guardian ad litem.

(a) The court shall appoint a guardian ad litem whenever:

(1) An alleged delinquent child appears before the court without his or her parent, guardian, or legal custodian;

(2) It appears to the court that a parent, guardian, or legal custodian of an alleged delinquent child is incapable or unwilling to make decisions in the best interests of such child with respect to proceedings under this article such that there may be a conflict of interest between such child and his or her parent, guardian, or legal custodian; or

(3) The court finds that it is otherwise in a child’s best interests to do so.

(b) The role of a guardian ad litem in a delinquency proceeding shall be the same role as provided for in all dependency proceedings under Article 3 of this chapter.

(c) In a delinquency proceeding, a child’s parent, guardian, legal custodian, or attorney shall not prohibit or impede the child’s guardian ad litem’s access to such child.

## History

Code 1981, § 15-11-476, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242; Ga. L. 2014, p. 780, § 1-36/SB 364.