Public testimony pushes for attorney-only guardians, fee caps and stricter rules after subcommittee opens hearing on guardian ad litem bills

Speakers at a South Carolina House subcommittee hearing on Oct. 12, 2025, urged lawmakers to overhaul the guardian ad litem (GAL) system in family court, pressing for attorney-only GALs, caps on fees, restrictions on ex parte communications and limits on guardian access to litigants’ medical records. The subcommittee agreed to schedule an additional hearing to collect more testimony on several GAL-related bills.

Testimony from multiple parents described long-running custody disputes in which speakers said lay guardians or guardian-appointed attorneys disproportionately influenced judges’ decisions, ran up large fees and communicated privately with other parties or experts. Carlton Walker of Charleston, who identified himself as a residential builder and real estate broker, told the committee his case involved multiple guardians and lawyers whose fees he says totalled roughly $370,000 for one attorney and $58,000 for a lay guardian’s counsel; he said his family has paid about $3,906 per month for the next 100 months and estimated total legal costs near $860,000. Walker asked the…