(a) Payment shall be made from funds of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
(b) Guardians ad litem shall be compensated at eighty dollars ($80.00) per hour for out-of-court services, and one hundred ($100.00) per hour for in-court services.
(c) The total compensation paid to a guardian ad litem under this Rule shall not exceed three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) per appointment as of July 1, 2012.
(d) An appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia shall be considered a separate case with regards to compensation.
(e) The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia will not reimburse the cost of office expenses including but not limited to copying costs, postage, long distance telephone calls and/or fees charged for invoice preparation.
(f) Costs of obtaining and copying court records, medical records, school records, and child protective services records will be reimbursed. Mileage will be reimbursed at the standard rate per mile as approved by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
(g) Requests for payment shall be reviewed and recommended by order of the appointing court prior to submission to the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
(h) Requests for payment shall be made on forms approved by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia and shall follow all West Virginia State and Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia billing regulations, policies and procedures.
(i) The Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia – or the Administrative Director’s designee – shall review and approve all submissions for payment of fees to guardians ad litem.
(j) The Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia shall have the authority to approve and pay compensation in excess of the amounts state above in exceptional cases and for good cause shown. Requests for excess compensation shall be made by the appointing court and sent to the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia for approval.
(k) As circumstances may warrant, the court in its discretion may at any time during the proceedings tax the costs of the appointment of a guardian ad litem to the parties and require that any compensation previously paid from the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia funds be refunded to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
Amended by order entered and effective July 1, 2012; amended by order entered and effective November 7, 2007; and amended by order entered and effective January 25, 2025.