A Colorado Child and Family Investigator (“CFI”) may be appointed in a domestic relations case, including dissolution of marriage cases (or what is commonly referred to as divorce cases), or in other cases involving children including paternity and allocation of parental responsibility cases.
The roles of Guardian ad Litem, CFI’s and Parental Responsibilities Evaluators have evolved over time in Colorado. At the time of this writing, pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-10-116.5, upon request of either party or upon the court’s own motion a CFI may be appointed. The court determines the scope of the child and family investigator’s appointment, which is often based upon the lawyer’s or court’s drafting of the order of appointment.
The role of the CFI is to investigate, report and make recommendations to the court on issues outlined in the order of appointment that affect the best interests of children involved in the domestic relations case. The CFI shall file a written report with the court and may be called as a witness.
Individuals interested in practicing as a CFI must complete the affidavit process through the State Court Administrator’s Office (“SCAO”). If an applicant is accepted, that person will be placed on the statewide roster. It is up to the individual judicial districts to establish their own rosters of CFIs authorized to practice in their district based on the statewide eligibility roster. The selection of a seasoned and qualified CFI is critical to a case.
The divorce attorneys in the Douglas County based firm Folkestad Fazekas Barrick & Patoile, P.C., have been helping families in divorce for over 40 years. Call one of our divorce lawyers today for a free consultation at 303-688-3045 or contact us.
