
Your Guide to CASA Services
Who is Family Law CASA?
Family Law CASA of King County is a nonprofit organization that helps children from low- and moderate-income families. We are not affiliated with Child Protective Services, law enforcement, or any other social service organization.

What Does ‘CASA’ Mean?

How Much Do Services Cost?

Who Can Be a CASA?
What Services Do We Offer?
Family Law CASA services include interviews and investigations as described above. Volunteer advocates will write 1-2 reports for the Court and will appear at Court for a half day at trial if the case does not settle. The Family Law CASA Program Attorney will represent the CASA at Review Hearings, will be available by phone for mediation or settlement conference, will participate in the Pre-Trial Conference without the CASA, and will represent the CASA at trial, asking to be excused from the remainder of the trial.
How Do We Work?
Family Law CASA is appointed by the Court in high-conflict child custody cases to gather information and report back to the Court.
Family Law CASA uses lay-person volunteers from the community to gather information about the children’s circumstances and to provide written reports to the court, including recommendations about the parenting plan, residential schedule (visitation), and need for services.

What Are The Qualifications?

What is the Role of a CASA?

How Are CASAs Different?
What Can I Expect?
What Is My Responsibility?
It’s important to share any information you want to be considered for the Family Law CASA report as soon as possible. You can mail or deliver documents or letters to the Family Law CASA Office. Don’t wait for the CASAs to get information that you think is important. Volunteers have limited time and need to decide which records & documents to obtain, and which people to interview. If you think the CASAs missed an important interview, please ask that person to call the CASAs or contact the Family Law CASA office. If you think the CASAs didn’t get important records or documents from you, please submit those records or documents to the Family Law CASA office.
It is also important to keep the CASA and Family Law CASA office updated with any new contact information if you move or get a new phone number or email address. You should also tell Family Law CASA about any new developments in your case.
If you schedule a hearing with the Court, make sure you let Family Law CASA know in advance, and send copies of all documents to Family Law CASA as well as the other parent/parties involved. Finally, please note that Family Law CASA will only share information that is necessary for the Family Law CASA report, and will not file motions or engage in discovery requests for information outside of what is necessary for the report.
Glossary of Terms
Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)
A CASA is a volunteer who works with a CASA organization to advocate for a child or sibling group. The court signs an order appointing the organization to a case. The organization recruit, trains and assigns the volunteer to the case.
Child Protective Services
Commonly called “CPS”, is the part of The Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) that investigates child abuse and neglect. DCYF is a WA government agency. Family Law CASA is a completely different agency.
Lay-Person
“A person without professional or specialized knowledge in a particular subject”, although CASAs may have some professional experience outside of volunteering when they are on a Family Law CASA case, they do so as a Lay-person regardless of said experience.
Appointed
Being asked by the court/judicial officer to serve in some capacity. In King county, Family Law CASAs are sometimes appointed to family law cases to provide the court information and recommendations, giving a voice to children by advocating for their best interest.
Guardian ad Litem (GAL)
A GAL is an individual appointed by the court to represent the best interests of a child or incapacitated person involved in a case in a superior court. GALs can be expensive, but Family Law CASA provides a similar service at no cost to the parents.
Parenting Evaluators
A court-appointed expert who provides the court with information about the parents and what’s in the best interest of the child. Similar to a GAL. A parenting evaluation can be expensive, Family Law CASA provides a similar service with no cost to the parents.
Release of information (ROI) Forms
A form that allows the release of sensitive/confidential information or forms to a party not privileged to it.
Mandatory Reporters
A mandated reporter is a person who is required to report observed or suspected child abuse to Child Protective Services (per RCW 74.34.020(10).
Parenting Plan
Refers to a court order where parents are assigned “residential time” with their children, an allocation of which parents make decisions concerning the children. Parenting Plans can be either “temporary” (before the final order is made in the case), “permanent” (outlined in the final order), or “proposed” (suggested by one of the parties or CASA).
Mediation/Settlement Conference (Settle)
A process where all parties to a case meet with a mediator who tries to assist the parties in reaching an agreed final order or terms that can resolve the case before trial. Offers made during this process may not be raised at trial in the event the case does not settle.
Pre-trial Conference (PTC)
A hearing that the court sets about 6 weeks before trial to determine the trial readiness of the case.
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