MarybethSampsel

It was quickly evident that Mary Beth Sampsel was not an impartial party in our case. I noticed during billing that she often saw the other party members in person and took several phone calls from them, however was difficult for us to get a hold of and we were still billed for half the bill. She did not give incredibly important evidence the time and study that it deserved, especially when shown evidence of child sex assault and inappropriate against several minors. When a decision was finally reached, she offered no help whatsoever to enforce her decisions, including counseling for the child whom the case was about. Unfortunately, she seemed truly biased toward the other party during the entire process, and I do not say this lightly. This is literally why I am taking part in this survey…her services were that unfair. She was also actively campaigning for the judge that was overseeing our case and we felt we could not go to the judge to get fair treatment either. The whole thing was a terrible experience and will certainly impact the long term mental and emotional health of our daughter.

Ignored all evidence, handled important court documents without informed consent, and did so without clients' knowledge of what had been completed, or not completed, or filed, or not filed.

Illegally made binding recommendations removing parenting from primary caregiver (mother) against professional and medical advice and in opposition of abise findings against father. Shares friend group with father. Refuses to oblige by our binding 50/50 parenting plan governing.

This GAL has refused to speal with mother then accused mother of refusing to cooperate. Removed children from mother (only caregiver) and sent to abusive father after mandatory reporters reported substantiated abuse to CPS. Removed children from their treating therapists and doctors, specially the ones who spoke up about and witness fathers abuse. Lied to the court. Admitted she can write what she wants without evidence and no one will hood her accountable because her husband is a judge. I could go on but this is becoming traumatizing.

My concerns regarding Guardian ad Litem Mary Beth Sampsel began approximately three years ago, but they are now directly relevant again because she has been reappointed to this case and has indicated that she does not intend to revisit the serious problems in her prior investigation and report. In her earlier work, Sampsel adopted and repeated a history that the Department had removed or placed our children with the third party. That supposed state action became part of the foundation of the case against the biological parents. Yet at the July 8, 2026 hearing, a Department manager testified that DPHHS never placed our children with the third party. The Department's own records also contradict the placement narrative. By the time that was finally established through testimony, the false history had already been repeated through years of litigation and had reached the Montana Supreme Court record. The same problem exists with my child's medical and mental-health history. For years, the third party supplied providers with serious information about the children and biological parents that we contend is false and contradicted by primary records, including birth records and Department records. Instead of independently verifying those claims, Sampsel relied substantially on the history supplied by the third party and incorporated it into her own conclusions. The court has since acknowledged in its findings that portions of the medical history supplied by the third party were likely false. The most troubling issue now is that Sampsel has been reappointed while these problems remain unresolved, yet she has indicated that she will not go back and address the prior Department-placement issue or the disputed medical and mental-health history. Those are not harmless historical mistakes. They continue to affect how my child is being treated, how providers understand her history, how parental contact is evaluated, and how the court views both biological parents. I believe my child is presently being harmed by mental-health treatment and custody decisions that continue to rely upon disputed or demonstrably inaccurate information. My concern is therefore not simply that I disagree with a guardian ad litem's recommendation. A false governmental-action narrative and a disputed medical history were allowed to become foundational facts in litigation involving fundamental parental rights, and the same guardian ad litem has now been returned to the case while refusing to meaningfully reexamine those foundational errors. Both biological parents remain cut off from their children while professionals continue operating from information that we have been trying for years to correct. I am asking for independent review and accountability before additional decisions are made based upon a record that has already been shown to contain serious inaccuracies.

Suppressed evidence, coerced signatures, relied on children’s statements in spite of knowledge of child coaching by other parent, ignored emails, false statements of fact in reports, singling one parent out in reports, refused mental Health of the children and did not conduct a evaluation prior to intake or them or the other parent to show baseline nor after to show affects of investigation, made diagnosis of me and children having no medical stance to do so in reports, refused to communicate with me and instead gave the other party exparte communications of the questions I was directed to ask her by my attorney. I did not nor did others she stated she got back to did she email. I was charged for services not done. She automated responses to the emails not answered to charge me. This can be verified by timestamps and dates. She also sent an email to my now husband that she would be out of town months after he asked a basic question which the response was given to opposing party. At no point did she give me the information she gave opposing counsel or the opposing party but gave them the information I asked her to answer or the concerns I had. That was not what I agreed to or what any contract stated would occur.

Asking for stuff she shouldn’t be! Discovery in a guardianship. Lying about it. Asking for irrelevant information. Didn’t prove threshold. Knows my parents are lying helping them commit perjury. Lied to the court about what I produced. Harassing and practically stalking me. Ambulance attorney. Lied about paperwork not received. Never mailed me my documents half the time when she was supposed to! I’ve heard she had done this to others! And that she lies and doesn’t play fair! Horrible person! Pretending to care! She doesn’t!