AB 2185: Civil actions: appointment of guardian ad litem.

Existing law authorizes a court to appoint a guardian ad litem to appear in a proceeding on behalf of a party who is a minor, a person who lacks legal capacity to make decisions, or a person for whom a conservator has been appointed, and establishes procedures for the appointed of a guardian ad litem. Existing law requires the title of the complaint in a civil action to include the names of all parties to the action.

This bill would authorize a court to permit a guardian ad litem to be appointed and appear under a pseudonym if the guardian ad litem establishes facts and circumstances that demonstrate an overriding interest in preserving his or her anonymity. The bill would require the court to make specified findings in granting that permission. If a guardian ad litem is permitted to appear under a pseudonym, the bill would require all court decisions, orders, petitions, and other documents to be written in a manner that protects the name and personal identifying information of the guardian ad litem from public disclosure, except to the extent the information is necessary to permit a party to prosecute, defend, or resolve the action. The bill would give the court discretion to reconsider its decision.