Support option · Upcoming
Child & Family Investigations
When a court needs an independent account of what actually serves a child, it appoints a Child and Family Investigator: a neutral role, impartial by design, that does not represent either parent.
Overview
What a CFI is
A Child and Family Investigator is a neutral professional appointed by a Colorado court to investigate and report on the parenting arrangement that best serves a child's interests. The CFI represents neither parent and advocates for neither side.
The work typically involves interviewing both parents, meeting the child in an age-appropriate way, speaking with relevant collateral sources such as teachers, physicians, or therapists, reviewing records, and producing a written report with findings and recommendations for the court.
Dr. Martinez Rodriguez has completed CFI training through the Colorado Judicial Branch, covering child maltreatment assessment, domestic violence, and mandatory reporting. Her roster affidavit for court appointments is pending, with inclusion anticipated in June 2027. Once active, investigations can be conducted in English or Spanish, which matters greatly when a child or parent's first language is not English.
Good to know
An important limit
A CFI is appointed by the court and serves the court. The role cannot be combined with representing a party in the same matter, and appointment is made by the court rather than retained by a parent. Colorado sets a cap on CFI fees, allocated between the parties as the court directs.
Upcoming
Does your case need an independent voice for your child?
A Child and Family Investigator is appointed by the court, not hired by a parent, and reports to the judge on what serves the child. The firm will begin accepting appointments once roster inclusion is complete. Ask to be told when.
Process
How an investigation runs
- 1
Appointment by the court
A CFI is appointed by order, on a parent's motion or on the court's own. The order sets the questions to be investigated and the fee cap.
- 2
Interviews and home time
Each parent, and the child, in a structured and age-appropriate way.
- 3
Collateral sources and records
Teachers, doctors, therapists, and the documents that show what daily life looks like.
- 4
The report
Findings and a recommendation, filed with the court and shared with both parents.
- 5
Testimony, if needed
If the case goes to hearing, the investigator may be called to explain the report.
Approach
How it's approached
Neutral, and visibly so
Both parents receive the same process, the same questions, and the same opportunity to be heard. Neutrality that is not evident to both sides is not doing its job.
Centred on the child
The question is never who deserves to win. It is what arrangement gives this child stability, safety, and the best chance to develop well.
Culturally responsive
Family structures, discipline norms, and expressions of care differ across cultures. Reading those differences as deficits produces bad findings, and bad outcomes for children. This is not a theoretical commitment: as an immigrant and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Dr. Martinez Rodriguez has seen firsthand how families that look different get misread and judged by systems that were not built with them in mind. That perspective shapes a broader, less assumption-driven view of what a healthy family can look like.
Clearly written
Reports that state what was examined, what was found, and what is recommended, in language every party can follow.
Coverage
What the investigation covers
Interviews with each parent
Both parents receive the same structured interview, the same questions, and the same chance to explain their concerns and their proposals. Neutrality begins here, and it has to be visible from here.
Matter 1 of 5
For parents in a custody case
Facing a custody investigation you did not ask for?
When the other parent moves for a CFI, or the court appoints one, how you engage with the investigator matters. The firm represents parents in cases where a CFI has been appointed, and can prepare you for it.
Costs
Set by the court, not by the firm.
Colorado caps what a Child and Family Investigator may charge and allocates the fee between the parents by order, sometimes with the state paying for a party who qualifies. The firm will publish its CFI fee schedule when it begins accepting appointments.
Child and Family Investigation is upcoming; the firm is not yet accepting appointments.
Still deciding
You don't have to know the answer before you call.
Most people book a consultation before they're sure what they need. That's normal, not a red flag.
The consultation
Child and Family Investigation is coming to the firm.
A Child and Family Investigator is a neutral court appointment, not an advocate for either parent. If you want to know whether the role fits your case, or to be told when the firm begins accepting appointments, send a message.
- Call or text
- (720) 739-0037
- AI appointment receptionist
- (720) 953-5ILG (454)
Common questions
No. Consultations are paid, and that is a deliberate choice. A free consultation is generally a screening call; ours is a working session in which you receive an attorney's actual assessment of your position and options. The fee is quoted before you book, with no surprises.