The Supreme Court of Ohio has adopted proposed rule changes to explain who can receive a report written by a guardian ad litem (GAL). The amendments also strengthen the protections against the unauthorized disclosure of GAL reports.

The changes take effect on July 1, 2026.

Courts appoint GALs for children in certain domestic relations and juvenile cases to identify a child’s best interests and to communicate those interests to the court. Under the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio, the GAL provides a report to the court, to unrepresented parties in the case, and to legal counsel.

Rule 48.06 was updated to explain that attorneys who receive a GAL report must provide the report to their clients. Additional changes made to Rules 48.02 and 48.06 address unauthorized disclosures of GAL reports. The rules prohibit any party who receives a copy of a GAL report from disclosing not just the report, but also any part of, excerpt from, or image of the report, without the court’s permission. Also, each GAL report must include language stating that disclosing the report or its contents is prohibited.

Courts may impose contempt penalties, including fines and incarceration, for unauthorized disclosures.

The Advisory Committee on Children and Families proposed the rule amendments to provide clarification and uniformity for local courts regarding GAL reports.