In any pending family relations matter the court or any judge may cause an investigation to be made with respect to any circumstance of the matter which may be helpful or material or relevant to a proper disposition of the case. Such investigation may include an examination of the parentage and surroundings of any child, his age, habits and history, inquiry into the home conditions, habits and character of his parents or guardians and evaluation of his mental or physical condition. In any action for dissolution of marriage, legal separation or annulment of marriage such investigation may include an examination into the age, habits and history of the parties, the causes of marital discord and the financial ability of the parties to furnish support to either spouse or any dependent child.
(1959, P.A. 531, S. 10; P.A. 73-373, S. 37; P.A. 76-436, S. 95, 681.)
History: P.A. 73-373 substituted “dissolution of marriage” for “divorce”; P.A. 76-436 substituted “pending family relations matter” for “matter pending in a family relations session”, effective July 1, 1978; Sec. 51-182j temporarily renumbered as Sec. 51-337 and ultimately transferred to Sec. 46b-6 in 1979.
Decision of a court whether to order an investigation and report is discretionary. 180 C. 533. Cited. 181 C. 622; 212 C. 63; 224 C. 776.
“Evaluation” of a physical or mental condition is not equivalent to “treatment” of such a condition. 2 CA 472. Cited. 11 CA 189; 23 CA 509; 25 CA 693. Nothing in section and Sec. 46b-3 authorizes court to order parties in a custody battle to undergo postjudgment psychiatric therapy or other counseling since those provisions apply to pending family matters and trial court improperly ordered a postjudgment psychological evaluation and postjudgment counseling. 61 CA 175. Psychological evaluation was not moot or irrelevant because there was an actual controversy re a final visitation schedule that was in best interest of the child, and the court did not abuse its discretion by ordering the evaluation released. 149 CA 314.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
20
cases (
5 in the last 5 years), 1980–2025 · leading case:
Payton v. Payton, 930 A.2d 802 (Conn. App. Ct. 2007).
Payton v. Payton, 930 A.2d 802 (Conn. App. Ct. 2007).
· cites it 10× “General Statutes § 46b-6 authorizes a trial court to order an investigation of any circumstances pertaining to the disposition of a family relations matter.”
Savage v. Savage, 596 A.2d 23 (Conn. App. Ct. 1991).
· cites it 6× “*700 General Statutes § 46b-6 allows a trial court to order an investigation in “a pending family relations matter” of any circumstance of that matter, which may be helpful, material or relevant to a proper disposition of the case, including an evaluation of a child’s mental…”
Ruggiero v. Ruggiero, 819 A.2d 864 (Conn. App. Ct. 2003).
· cites it 6× “General Statutes § 46b-6 4 allows a court to order an investigation in a pending family matter that may be *344 helpful to the proper disposition of the case.”
Ridgeway v. Ridgeway, 429 A.2d 801 (Conn. 1980).
· cites it 2× “While it may be helpful to a judge deciding a custody dispute to obtain the disinterested assessment such a report should provide, we do not believe, under the facts of this case, that the court was required to do so.”
Lopes v. Ferrari, 204 A.3d 1254 (Conn. App. Ct. 2019).
· cites it 4× “On August 11, 2016, the plaintiff filed a "motion for psychological exam," requesting, pursuant to General Statutes § 46b-6, 5 that the court order the defendant to undergo a psychological examination.”
Knock v. Knock, 621 A.2d 267 (Conn. 1993).
· cites it 2× “General Statutes § 46b-3 provides in pertinent part: “For the purposes of any investigation or pretrial conference the judge presiding at any family relations session may employ the services of any .”
Pascal v. Pascal, 481 A.2d 68 (Conn. App. Ct. 1984).
· cites it 3× “§ 46b-6 thus permits the court to order an evaluation of a child’s mental condition and, to that end, General *479 Statutes § 46b-3 allows the court to employ the services of a psychologist, psychiatrist or family counselor.”
Janik v. Janik, 763 A.2d 65 (Conn. App. Ct. 2000).
· cites it 3× “General Statutes § 46b-6 provides in relevant part that the court “may cause an investigation to be made with respect to any circumstance of the matter which may be helpful *179 or material or relevant to a proper disposition of the case. Such investigation may include an…”
Presutti v. Presutti, 436 A.2d 299 (Conn. 1980).
· cites it 2× “11 In determining the best interests of the child in a case of this sort, the appointment of an attorney for the minor child; see General Statutes § 46b-54; or the ordering of an investigation and report from the Family Relations Division; see General Statutes §46b-6; or both,…”
Perez v. Perez, 561 A.2d 907 (Conn. 1989).
· cites it 3× “General Statutes § 46b-6 11 states that the trial court may order an investigation of any circumstances relevant to the disposition of a family relations matter.”
G. S. v. T. S., 582 A.2d 467 (Conn. App. Ct. 1990).
· cites it 3× “” General Statutes § 46b-6 provides: “In any pending family relations matter the court or any judge may cause an investigation to be made with respect to any circumstance of the matter which may be helpful or material or relevant to a proper disposition of the case.”
Batista v. Cortes, 203 Conn. App. 365 (Conn. App. Ct. 2021).
· cites it 2× “8 General Statutes § 46b-6 provides in relevant part: ‘‘In any pending family relations matter the court or any judge may cause an investigation to be made with respect to any circumstance of the matter which may be helpful or material or relevant to a proper disposition of the…”
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