2000 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 state treasurer 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.  

    HIST: 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 

*   NOTE:  Laws 1999, chapter 216, article 7, section 46, 
*subdivision 3, provides specific effective dates for the state 
*takeover of miscellaneous court costs under subdivision 2, as 
*amended by Laws 1999, chapter 216, article 7, section 21.