2006 Minnesota Statutes

257.69 RIGHT TO COUNSEL; COSTS; FREE TRANSCRIPT ON APPEAL.
    Subdivision 1. Representation by counsel. In all proceedings under sections 257.51 to
257.74, any party may be represented by counsel. The county attorney shall represent the public
authority. The court shall appoint counsel for a party who is unable to pay timely for counsel in
proceedings under sections 257.51 to 257.74.
    Subd. 2. Guardian; legal fees. (a) The court may order expert witness and guardian ad litem
fees and other costs of the trial and pretrial proceedings, including appropriate tests, to be paid by
the parties in proportions and at times determined by the court. The court shall require a party
to pay part of the fees of court-appointed counsel according to the party's ability to pay, but if
counsel has been appointed the appropriate agency shall pay the party's proportion of all other
fees and costs. The agency responsible for child support enforcement shall pay the fees and
costs for blood or genetic tests in a proceeding in which it is a party, is the real party in interest,
or is acting on behalf of the child. However, at the close of a proceeding in which paternity has
been established under sections 257.51 to 257.74, the court shall order the adjudicated father to
reimburse the public agency, if the court finds he has sufficient resources to pay the costs of the
blood or genetic tests. When a party bringing an action is represented by the county attorney, no
filing fee shall be paid to the court administrator.
(b) In each fiscal year, the commissioner of finance shall deposit guardian ad litem
reimbursements in the general fund and credit them to a separate account with the trial courts.
The balance of this account is appropriated to the trial courts and does not cancel but is available
until expended. Expenditures by the state court administrator's office from this account must
be based on the amount of the guardian ad litem reimbursements received by the state from
the courts in each judicial district.
    Subd. 3. Inability to pay for transcript. If a party is financially unable to pay the cost of a
transcript, the court shall furnish on request a transcript for purposes of appeal.
History: 1980 c 589 s 19; 1983 c 308 s 13; 1Sp1986 c 3 art 1 s 82; 1995 c 207 art 10 s
13,14; 1999 c 216 art 7 s 21; 2003 c 112 art 2 s 50