Colorado's CFI & PRE Education specialists.

What is a CFI or a PRE?

In situations where parents cannot agree on co-parenting responsibilities or how decision-making will be managed, the court will appoint a Child and Family Investigator (CFI) or a Parental Responsibility Evaluator (PRE) to report on what is in the children’s best interest. CFIs can be trained attorneys, mental health professionals, or someone with a background in social work or working with children.  PREs are psychiatrists or psychologists with specialized training in psychological assessments and potentially addictions evaluations.  The role of a CFI/PRE is often to make recommendations regarding parenting time or decision-making issues.  There are also times when the Court requests an investigation and report on particular issues, but does not request recommendations.

What services do you offer?

Burnham Law chief managing partner Stephanie Randall is a trained Child and Family Investigator who can help you to be more prepared for the often emotionally rigorous process of a child investigation.

Stephanie is a trained and experienced Child and Family Investigator, as well as an expert in evaluating the best interests of children.  She has testified dozens of times as an expert in jurisdictions across the state.

Stephanie can explain the process of an investigation, provide insight on what information an investigator will need and help you organize and disseminate the documents and other evidence that will be crucial for the investigation. To help keep costs down, the courts have placed some limits on the scope of Child and Family Investigators (CFIs). Being prepared with the correct documents and other information will help you get the best possible outcome from the investigation. Stephanie’s experiences working with the courts, as well as hundreds of Colorado families, will be a benefit to you and your family.

Stephanie will be completely honest with you about the issues that concern you and the quality of the information you are thinking about providing for the investigation. It’s critical to be organized and time efficient in an investigation so that your own feelings aren’t bringing issues to the table that cannot be considered under the law. Stephanie will give you an unbiased and objective perspective about your concerns so you are able to organize your information and ensure the investigator has what they need to evaluate the family without emotional issues and red herrings interfering.

What if I am divorcing with children but do not have a CFI or PRE involved? Can you still help?

Absolutely. We are child experts and offer in-depth assistance with co-parenting, creating parenting plans and general divorce advice always keeping the child(ren)’s development as the top priority. We have gone through the divorce and separation process with people thousands of times and can help you avoid the common (and uncommon) mistakes, stay clear eyed and level headed, and help you achieve the best possible outcome for you and your family so that you can move forward with confidence and peace.

How much does it cost?

We currently charge $375 per hour for Ms. Randall’s consultation work, with two exceptions. The rate is $390 per hour on weekends and the rate is $450 per hour if she is asked to testify in court, including travel time portal to portal. These rates are current and subject to change.