How to Prepare for a CFI or PRE Investigation
Your divorce or custody case has begun. You attended your Initial Status Conference, and now you have had a custody expert appointed. A custody expert can be either a CFI (Child and Family Investigator) or a PRE (Parental Responsibilities Evaluator). For an introductory conversation on a CFI vs. a PRE, check out this article. After the initial deposit is paid, the next step is likely a large packet of paperwork the CFI or PRE wants you to fill out. Then you will schedule your initial interview. While every investigation takes its own shape, the majority of investigations largely follow the same outline:
Initial paperwork
Initial interview
Interviews with 3rd party witnesses
Evaluations of the parents, if necessary
Home visits & interview(s) with child/ren
Follow-up interviews
Issuance of report with recommendations
When completing the initial paperwork, remember that this is the CFI or PRE’s first impression of your case. This is your opportunity to present your side of the custody dispute. You will have other opportunities to discuss it directly with the CFI or PRE, so keep your answers brief but direct. If you have an attorney, always send your completed packet to them first for their feedback. While honesty is always the best policy when it comes to an investigation, there is room for strategy which is where legal expertise can prove extremely beneficial.
The CFI or PRE’s office will likely reach out to you to schedule your initial interview. These are often conducted over the phone or via zoom, though some investigators prefer to have you in-office. Be sure to be responsive to an interview request. Non-responsive parents tend to have less favorable outcomes in these investigations. During your interview, you will likely be faced with the accusations and claims from the other side. Anticipate ahead of time what may be said and prepare your answers.
You will also be asked for a list of witnesses that you want the investigator to speak with. Oftentimes, parties put their parents (the children’s grandparents), neighbors, and friends. While these people can certainly be helpful, they are also likely aligned with you and therefore the CFI or PRE will take their input with a grain of salt. The best witnesses are the ones that are neutral. Consider your children’s teachers, coaches, or their friends’ parents. Witnesses should be people that have unique information and will not be giving the same information that you can give.
The home visit is likely the most important part of the majority of CFI or PRE investigations. This when the expert will observe you in your own home with your child/ren, your new spouse or significant other, and anyone else who may live there. It is important that your home makes a good impression, so be sure your home is clean and accessible. Recall that it is also important to be truthful, so do not change anything about your home that you would not normally change for other company. The investigator will likely ask your child/ren if anything about your home is different on that day than it normally is. You should also prepare an activity for the investigator to observe you and your child interacting. The most successful activities are ones that you frequently do together and will give the investigator the best opportunity to observe your natural rapport with your child. A natural interaction with your child is always preferable.
CFI and PRE investigations are very nuanced. Some can go very quickly whereas others will take many months. The best thing you can do for your case is to be patient with the investigator’s timeline, and to be responsive to any requests they may have. Since strategy is always an aspect of an investigation, consider hiring experienced legal counsel to help you through this process. Bouncing your ideas off of your attorney, practicing your interview, and reviewing your parent information packet before you turn it in are all ways that your attorney can help you. If you are in the middle of an investigation, contact us today to see how we can help you!