Lisa A. Bangert

If I could give zero stars, I would. My experience with Lisa Bangert as the GAL assigned to my case was deeply disappointing and, in my opinion, had a profound impact on my family. She was assigned to my case for nearly two years, yet I repeatedly experienced what I believe was a lack of meaningful investigation, communication, and consideration of the evidence that was provided to her. During the case, I provided substantial documentation and objective evidence. Lisa did not, in my experience, adequately review the required documentation or follow up with the numerous individuals who provided statements and completed her questionnaires. She also did not meaningfully engage with me or my son throughout the two years she was assigned to the case. My concerns became particularly serious when it appeared that she had reached conclusions without fully considering the circumstances and history of our case. At the time, I was living in California with 100% placement of my son. I was a retiring military member preparing to return to my home state of Alaska. I provided the required legal notice, followed the applicable procedures, and participated in approximately a year of mediation before filing the relocation matter with the court. Rather than meaningfully considering the totality of the circumstances, including the history of placement, the evidence presented, and the best-interest factors, Lisa recommended a temporary placement order that removed my son from my care and placed him with his father in Wisconsin. That recommendation had enormous consequences for my family. I spent nearly two years fighting to correct what I believed were significant factual and evidentiary problems in the GAL's position. I ultimately prevailed, but doing so came at an extraordinary personal and financial cost. Between travel, attorney fees, and GAL expenses, I spent nearly $100,000 wiping out my retirement funds defending my family and my relationship with my son and with all of the Lisa sent me an email for discounted airfare. Just a slap in the face to the situation she created. What is especially frustrating is that the evidence ultimately spoke for itself. I provided hundreds of objective pieces of evidence that contradicted statements and conclusions made during the case. The final court order (a different judge then the one that blindly accepted the recommendation from her) also addressed concerns regarding the lack of evidentiary basis for the GAL's findings and the actions taken during the proceedings. I cannot speak for anyone else's experience, but I can speak to mine: my case did not receive the thorough, impartial, evidence-based investigation that I believe a family deserves when a GAL is involved. I also found the cost particularly difficult to reconcile with the level of work and follow-up I personally experienced. Thankfully, I had an exceptional attorney who was willing to dig into the evidence, challenge the recommendations, and continue fighting when the odds appeared to be overwhelmingly against us. Without that representation, I am genuinely concerned about what the outcome might have been. My advice to any parent who finds themselves in a case involving this GAL in particular is simple: document everything, preserve every piece of objective evidence, tie it all together and follow every court requirement, and make sure your attorney thoroughly reviews and challenges the GAL's findings when necessary. This was not an abstract legal matter for me. It was my child and my family. The experience was extraordinarily stressful, expensive, and painful, and I would not want another parent to go through the same experience.

Lisa is my champion! She has stuck with me for over 11 years and through each and every phase of my issue(s), she knew how to approach each with the utmost professionalism! Lisa would tell me straight up what we were dealing with, and potential outcomes. She always explained in great detail where we stood with the court, and applicable laws that make certain determinations! I'll always be grateful to Lisa and her team! She doesn't waste time, nor words. The system doesn't follow normal business protocols. When things were quiet for long periods, I knew she was in the background, working for my and my families best interest! I highly recommend Lisa and her team.

I had an extremely negative experience with Lisa Bangert, who was appointed as the Guardian ad Litem (GAL) in my custody case. In my opinion, she did not act in the best interests of the children and demonstrated a clear lack of professionalism and impartiality throughout the process. From the beginning, Lisa appeared to have a predetermined bias, often siding with the mother regardless of the circumstances. Despite clear evidence of the father’s consistent involvement—attending medical appointments, school functions, field trips, and volunteering—Lisa advocated for the mother, who frequently missed appointments and was largely uninvolved in the children's education and healthcare decisions. Lisa nitpicked the father for using phrases like "my children" when discussing what was best for them, labeling it as a sign of superiority. Yet, when the mother used the same phrasing, even during trial, it was never questioned. That inconsistency reflected her apparent partiality. One of the most distressing outcomes was when Lisa supported the separation of one of the children from the father for over a month and a half before Christmas. What made this even more difficult and confusing was that the father still had custody of the younger sibling during this time. The emotional impact on both children was significant, and it was completely avoidable. Throughout the two-year case, Lisa spoke to the father only once—a brief five-minute video call during her first week. She never followed up or spoke to any references, yet met with the mother and her boyfriend multiple times. This lack of investigation was deeply concerning, especially given the serious decisions being made. Even after false abuse allegations made by the mother were proven untrue, Lisa encouraged her to file additional claims rather than protecting the children from further turmoil. Meanwhile, past incidents involving the mother were seemingly ignored. If Lisa Bangert is assigned to your case, I strongly recommend you request her removal immediately. Based on my experience, her actions caused more harm than good, and her failure to act in the children’s best interest has had lasting consequences. She should be held accountable for the damage caused under her watch.