The court investigator holds a position of public trust and confidence and, as such, court investigators shall conduct themselves in a professional manner and refrain from any conduct which may result in a breach of such trust and confidence. In a care and protection proceeding, a judge must have as much relevant information as possible. One important source of information is the court investigator’s report (“Report”), because it provides the court with needed information that may not otherwise be presented by the parties. See Custody of Tracy, 31 Mass. App. Ct. 481, 485, (1991).
Given how important the Report is to the care and protection proceeding, the court investigator needs to have the ability to develop investigative information and write a report that displays excellent communications skills, solid analytical ability, and the aptitude to exercise sound independent judgment. Supplied with this information, a judge is better able to undertake the challenging task of deciding the outcome of a care and protection case.