[1] Children deserve to have custody proceedings conducted in the manner least harmful to them and most likely to provide judges with the facts needed to decide the case. The Iowa Standards of Practice for Lawyers Representing Children in Custody Cases (Standards) are a model for good practice and consistency in the appointment and performance of lawyers representing children in Iowa custody cases.[2] These Standards distinguish two distinct types of lawyers for children:(1) the Child's Attorney, who provides independent legal representation in a traditional attorney-client relationship, giving the child a strong voice in the proceedings; and(2) the Guardian ad Litem, who as a lawyer independently investigates, assesses, and advocates the child's best interests. While some courts in the past have appointed a lawyer, often called a Guardian ad Litem, to report or testify on the child's best interests and related information, this is not a lawyer's role under these Standards.[3] These Standards seek to keep the best interests of children at the center of the court's attention and to build public confidence in a just and fair court system that works to promote the best interests of children. These Standards promote quality control, professionalism, clarity, uniformity, and predictability. They require that:(1) all participants in a case know the duties, powers, and limitations of the appointed role; and(2) lawyers have sufficient training, qualifications, compensation, time, and authority to do their jobs properly with the support and cooperation of the courts and other institutions.[4] These Standards do not add obligations to the Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct, but like the comments to those rules, they provide guidance to attorneys representing children in custody cases for practicing in compliance with the rules. In the event of any conflict between these Standards and a Rule of Professional Conduct, the requirements of the rule take precedence.Iowa. Stand. Prac. Lawy. Repre. Child. Cust. Case. I