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Courts ask committee to raise Guardian ad Litem pay to $150 an hour as state fee bill changes costs
Summary
Court staff told the committee a state fee bill effective Nov. 1, 2026 increases some court revenue but also raises expenses (witness pay, mileage); judges requested raising local Guardian ad Litem pay from $100 to $150 per hour and increasing court-appointed attorney travel pay.
Court staff explained that a state fee bill taking effect Nov. 1, 2026 will increase some county court revenue lines while simultaneously increasing county expenditures tied to witness pay and mileage reimbursement. The court official said judges requested raising the local Guardian ad Litem (GAL) rate from $100 per hour to $150 per hour and increasing mileage and travel reimbursement for court-appointed attorneys to better attract counsel in family and CHIPS matters.
The court official cautioned there is not clear evidence pay increases alone will solve recruitment challenges but said the county struggles to find attorneys to take cases in Menomonie and Dunn County. "The judges have asked that I made a request to increase our rate from a $100 per hour to a $150 per hour," the court official told the committee. Committee members discussed options and the potential budget consequences of adopting the requested increases.
