THERE ARE MANY STORIES LIKE THIS:
I also used the services of a GAL, and also channeled a good chunk of cash ensuring that this person could make a nice living.
Here is the main lesson I learned, which in retrospect is obvious:
Persons that do GAL work as a profession have a personal interest in complying with what is "expected" from them. This personal interest is at odd with the search of truth, and the integrity that the job would require.
For instance the very first question that my GAL asked me was "do you know what the judge wants from me?" - which I found at the time was a most amazing question, asked with the most amazing bluntness. She assumed then that I was privy of the intention of the judge because I had been the entity asking for a GAL.
She quickly understood what the situation was and turned out to be biased against me. (Just after her nomination by the court I had done a search on google on her name, and had found a man that had been working with her - and who had warned me of her bias. But by that time there was not much I could do.)
The big lesson is thus: if one is to seek the services of a GAL, ensure as much as possible that the GAL be selected from a list of independent candidates offered by you. (e.g., a list of independent psychologists, that are otherwise earning a good living.) Getting a GAL appointed by the court rarely leads to a fair result.
-Isaac
-- So tell me this is not just a scam to appoint high paying jobs to judges cronies.