HB244 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Danny CrawfordRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to guardians ad litem; to amend Section 15-12-21, Code of Alabama 1975; to increase the compensation for an attorney appointed to serve as a guardian ad litem in certain juvenile cases.

Summary

HB244 raises the guardian ad litem pay cap in juvenile dependency cases from $2,500 to $5,000 and adds related payment rules.

What This Bill Does

HB244 allows guardians ad litem in juvenile dependency cases to be paid up to $5,000, up from $2,500. The $5,000 can be earned as up to $2,500 in the first 18 months after appointment and up to $1,000 per year in each following 12-month period, with any remaining carried forward until final disposition or until the total reaches $5,000. Other case types still follow existing fee caps and the billing rules, including a $70 per hour rate, limited reimbursable expenses, a 90-day payment window after conclusion, and 6% interest if payments are late; retrials are treated as new cases for billing.

Who It Affects

• Guardians ad litem appointed for juvenile dependency cases and the indigent juveniles they represent or assist.
• Indigent defense attorneys serving in juvenile cases (non-dependency) and other indigent defense matters, who are subject to existing fee caps and the payment process.

Key Provisions

• In juvenile dependency cases, the total guardian ad litem fee is raised to $5,000, with no more than $2,500 paid in the first 18 months and up to $1,000 per each subsequent 12-month period; remaining amounts may carry over until final disposition or until the $5,000 cap is reached.
• In all other juvenile cases, the total fee remains capped at $2,500; for cases outside juvenile dependency, caps follow existing structure: capital offenses have no limit, Class A felonies up to $4,000, Class B up to $3,000, and Class C/D up to $2,000.
• Fees are calculated based on time at $70 per hour; reimbursable nonoverhead expenses up to $300 do not require advance approval, while expenses over $300 require trial court approval; overhead and certain expert costs require advance approval.
• Retrials are considered a new case for billing purposes; interim payments may be authorized by the director; a bill must be submitted within a set period after case conclusion, with court certification and timely payment by the Comptroller, and interest at 6% if payment is not made within 90 days.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Guardians ad litem, compensation for appointed guardian ad litem in certain juvenile cases, increased