Appointment, duties and compensation of investigators; governmental entities prohibited from charging fees for copies of documents requested in connection with investigation services

1. Upon filing of the petition, or any time thereafter, the court may appoint one or more investigators to: (a) Locate persons who perform services needed by the proposed protected person and other public and private resources available to the proposed protected person. (b) Determine any competing interests in the appointment of a guardian. (c) Investigate allegations or claims which affect a protected person or proposed protected person. (d) Investigate the ability of a proposed guardian to provide for the basic needs of a proposed protected person, including, without limitation, food, clothing, shelter and medical care. (e) Locate relatives of the proposed protected person who are within the second degree of consanguinity. (f) Obtain a copy of the birth certificate of a protected person or proposed protected person. (g) Obtain a copy of the death certificate of any interested person. 2. An investigator may be an employee of a social service agency, family service officer of the court, public guardian, physician or other qualified person. 3. An investigator shall file with the court and parties a report concerning the scope of the appointment of the guardian and any special powers which a guardian would need to assist the proposed protected person. 4. An investigator who is appointed pursuant to this section is entitled to reasonable compensation from the estate of the proposed protected person. If the court finds that a person has unnecessarily or unreasonably caused the investigation, the court may order the person to pay to the estate of the proposed protected person all or part of the expenses associated with the investigation. 5. A governmental entity shall not charge a fee for providing a copy of any document requested by an investigator in connection with an investigation conducted pursuant to subsection 1. 6. As used in this section, “governmental entity” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 239.005.