Massachusetts Association of Guardians ad Litem
About Us Who We AreMAGAL is a professional organization of mental health professionals, attorneys, family service officers, judges, and academics who work in and with the Probate and Family Courts that are charged with resolving disputes over the custody of children. MissionOur primary mission is the education of our members and the family law community about best professional practices and relevant policies governing their work. MembershipMembers of MAGAL include judges, attorneys, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, mental health counselors, visitation supervisors and family service officers. Membership, is by application, subject to board approval, is open to professionals with a practice or interest in child custody. |
Education and Ongoing Events
Upcoming EventsSave the date - Tuesday May 12, 2026 Keynote speakers: Phil Stahl, Ph.D. and Rebecca Stahl, Ph.D., LLM, authors of Representing Children in Dependency and Family Court: Beyond the Law, More information here Weekly ActivitesOngoing weekly events and groups for any of our members. Membership in either MAGAL or AFCC-MA is required to join the meetings below Wednesdays at Noon (Weekly)
Every Wednesday at noon we host a zoom discussion called the GAL discussion group. Click the link below to join. Fridays at 1pm (Monthly)
Magal in conjunction with AFCC hosts zoom consultation discussions for those who work at Parenting Coordinators (PC) and those working as therapists with members of court involved divorced or divorcing families (CIT). Each meeting is moderated by an experienced practitioner. Starting in January 2025, each of these consultation groups will meet once a month. For parenting coordinators, the 2025 meeting dates are 1/3, 2/7, 3/7, 4/4, 5/2, 6/6, 7/11, 8/1, 9/5, 10/3, 11/7, and 12/5. Click here to join the meeting: PC Discussion Group For Court Involved Therapists, the 2025 meeting dates are 1/17, 2/21, 3/28, 4/18, 5/16, 6/20, 7/18, 8/15, 9/19, 10/17, 11/21, and 12/19. Click here to join the meeting: Court Involved Therapists | Resources CHIEF'S OFFICE UPDATESNovember 25, 2025 The Judicial Liaison Committee recently met with the Chief’s Office to discuss improvements impacting GALs and Professional Parenting Time Supervisors, including PPTS guidelines, report filing processes, onboarding updates, Category E/F standards, and Commonwealth-paid matters. The discussion focused on increasing consistency, efficiency, and support for members, and we are pleased to share several positive developments and upcoming changes. Read the full update letter here. Other Chief's Office Updates - Including Mandatory training courses
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