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The GAL is usually a lawyer (but in some states, doesn't have to be), who represents the child in court. At a court proceding, you'll have the state's attorney, the parents attorney (sometimes two) and the GAL. CASA's interview all anciliary professionals, meet with the child, family and foster family, sometimes supervise visits and makes a recommendation to the court in the form of a report, but does not speak in court unless requested to do so by the judge. GAL's case loads can be extensive (esp if in areas where that is all the only work those specific attorneys do) or cases can be appointed to judges on a rotating basis in the same way public defenders are (in area's where they don't have a specific GAL group). A CASA on the other hand usually works on one case at a time and is able to devote more attention to that individual case.
Does that help?
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