ABOUT

Dale A. Cuilla

Dale holds a Master's Degree in Human Services from Purdue University. He is a Guardian ad Litem for Title 26 (Family Law) and Court Visitor Title 11 (Elderly and Incapacitated Persons). He is a Registered Child Forensic Interviewer, a Registered Paralegal with the Spokane County Bar Association and a Family Law Mediator. Prior to entering the legal field, Dale worked in healthcare. He worked in emergency rooms and as an Invasive Cardiovascular Technologist, working in Cardiac Catheterization Labs and Interventional Radiology.

Education

  • Master's in Human Services, Purdue University, 2021

  • Bachelor's in English, Southern New Hampshire University, 2018

  • Associates in Art & Science, Invasive Cardiovascular Technology, 2013

Training

  • Title 26 Guardian ad Litem Training, 2021, 2022

  • Title 11 Guardian ad Litem Training 2020, 2021

  • Registered Forensic Child Interviewer 2021

  • 40 Hour Mediation Training, 2021

  • 20 Family Law Mediation Training, 2021

What is a Guardian ad Litem?

A Guardian ad Litem is appointed by the Courts to investigate allegations made by one or both parties in family law proceedings. A Guardian ad Litem (GAL for Short) investigates claims, interviews parties, children and collateral witnesses. At the end of the investigation, the Guardian ad Litem may write a report and serve it to the parties. The report contains details of the investigation, including CPS reports and Police Reports (If applicable) as well as detailed summaries of each interview.


What is a Court Visitor?

A Court Visitor (Formerly known as a Guardian ad Litem) is appointed by the Courts to investigate if an elderly or incapacitated person (Respondent) needs a Guardian to help with medical and/or financial decisions. The Court Visitor (CV for short) investigates aspects of the Respondent's life to see if they can care for themselves, attend to their own financial decisions and can understand the ramifications of making (or not making) medical decisions. The Court Visitor will write a report for the Courts with their findings and recommendations.


What is Child Forensic Interviewing?

Forensic interviewing is a means of gathering information from a victim or witness for use in a legal setting, such as a court hearing. It is a key component of many child protective services investigations. The purpose of these interviews is to gather factual information in a legally defensible and developmentally appropriate manner about whether a child (or other person) has been abused (Newlin et al., 2015). Forensic interviews are conducted by trained professionals, including child welfare caseworkers, law enforcement, and specialized forensic interviewers at children’s advocacy centers (CACs).