Many people ask about the difference between a CASA and a GAL. Both are court appointed advocates who serve as the voice of the child during the course of legal proceedings in Family Court. Both are referred to as a GAL, since both have to adhere to the state laws governing Guardians ad Litem.

A CASA/GAL is a volunteer who has been through the training of the CASA Program. Founded in 1977 in Seattle, Washington, the CASA Program is a national citizen volunteer organization that provides training to individuals who want to advocate for abused and neglected children in Family Court. After the initial training of 30 or more hours, volunteers are sworn in as officers of the Court, which gives them the legal authority to conduct research on a child's situation and submit to the court reports and their recommendations for a child’s welfare. CASA/GALs work strictly as volunteers and deal with abuse, neglect, and abandonment cases referred to them by Child Protective Services.

The GAL program in Superior Court deals with custody disputes and those GALs are paid. They, too, are charged with representing the best interest of the child. Most are attorneys. CASA programs vary from state to state and from one country to the next. Not all programs come under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court, as they do in Spokane County.