Can a child participate in a court hearing via Zoom during the pandemic?
The answer is yes. Children can still participate in a court hearing via Zoom. This is happening all over New Jersey. A child or their caregivers will be emailed a Zoom link to log in and participate in the hearing by listening, asking questions, and even testifying. The child should always communicate with their Law Guardian prior to participating in the hearing.
If a child missed school to participate in a hearing, the court can write a letter so the absence is considered excused by the school and not counted against the child.
If a child is not comfortable participating in a court hearing but would like to speak more directly to the judge, the Law Guardian can request a child interview. A child interview is a meeting between the child and the judge. All counsel and parties would be permitted to listen in on the interview and the child interview becomes part of the record.
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Published by Jill Roth-Gutman
Jill Roth-Gutman is a Child Welfare Law Specialist, certified by the National Association of Counsel for Children, a credentialing organization approved by the American Bar Association. She provides New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCPP, formerly, DYFS) consultations to resource parents, family members and potential foster and foster-to-adopt parents as well as completes DCPP Adoption. She also specializes in Adult Child Guardianships, writing Power of Attorney and Living Wills. Ms. Roth-Gutman is available as Guardian ad Litem (GAL) in contested child custody cases and as a Court Appointment Attorney for Alleged Incapacitated Persons in Guardianships. Ms. Roth-Gutman is a proud member of the Burlington County Bar Association, Camp to Belong River Valley Recruitment Committee, and sits on the Camden County Workforce Development Board's Youth Investment Council Committee.
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