Michelle is trained as a Court Visitor in Title 11 guardianship and conservatorship cases. This role used to be called a “guardian ad litem” or GAL, but the title changed with the new Uniform Guardianship Act. She has been a Court Visitor since 2007 and has been appointed in more than 260 cases. Michelle was a panelist in the annual Court Visitor training annually from 2016 to the present, discussing the challenges of finding guardians for indigent elders in our community. She served on the planning committee for the Court Visitor trainings from 2018-2021. She takes pride in being kind, respectful, patient, thorough and fair.
What is a Court Visitor?
Title 11 Court Visitors are appointed by a court in a guardianship or conservatorship matter for an allegedly incapacitated adult.
The CV acts according to the directions from the court- most often, the CV investigates whether the alleged incapacitated person needs a guardian, who the guardian should be, and whether there are viable less restrictive alternatives to guardianship, like a power of attorney. In rare cases, the CV is authorized to take other actions, like freeze bank accounts or make medical decisions.
The CV is not a "guardian" and does not act as the attorney for the alleged incapacitated person. She does advocate for what she believes is in the best interests of the alleged incapacitated person.
The CV is paid by the alleged incapacitated person, a party to the guardianship action, or by the County, depending on what the Court orders.
A CV must go through special training to be certified, and attend annual education seminars.
The laws governing guardianship and CV can be found here.
The code of conduct for CVs in Snohomish County can be found here.
“Nothing ABOUT me WITHOUT me.”
This website and its contents do not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship can be formed until the attorney and client meet, discuss the client’s case, and sign a written fee agreement. Michelle is not a tax expert, and nothing in this website can be construed as tax advice. If you’d like to hire Michelle, please contact the office at 206-522-4638. Thank you! © Michelle Farris 2015