(a)(1) In any matter pending in any court of probate, except an involuntary patient matter or involuntary commitment matter under chapter 319i, a temporary custody matter under part II of chapter 802h, or an involuntary representation matter under part IV of chapter 802h, the court may refer the matter, with the consent of the parties or their attorneys, to a probate magistrate or attorney probate referee assigned by the Probate Court Administrator pursuant to section 45a-123a to hear the matter.

(2) The probate magistrate or attorney probate referee to whom the matter is referred shall hear the matter and file a report with the court on his or her findings of fact and conclusions drawn therefrom not later than sixty days after the conclusion of such hearing. The probate magistrate or attorney probate referee may file an amendment to the report with the court prior to the date the court accepts, modifies or rejects the report pursuant to subdivision (4) of this subsection. Upon the filing of any report or amendment to a report under this subdivision, the probate clerk shall provide a copy of the report or amendment to the report to the parties and their attorneys.

(3) Any party aggrieved by a finding of fact or a conclusion drawn therefrom in a report or amendment to a report may file an objection with the court not later than twenty-one days after the date the report was filed pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection.

(4) At least twenty-one days after a report is filed pursuant to subdivision (2) of this subsection, the court shall hold a hearing on the report and any amendment to the report or objection filed pursuant to this subsection. Not later than thirty days after the conclusion of a hearing under this subdivision, the court shall determine whether to accept, modify or reject the report or any amendment to the report. If the court finds that the probate magistrate or attorney probate referee has materially erred in his or her findings or conclusions in such report or amendment or that there are other sufficient reasons why the report or amendment should not be accepted, the court shall, in the court's discretion, modify or reject the report or amendment. If the court rejects the report and any amendment to the report, the court may hear and determine the matter or refer the matter to a different probate magistrate or attorney probate referee assigned by the Probate Court Administrator pursuant to section 45a-123a to hear the matter and report his or her findings of fact and conclusions drawn therefrom in accordance with subdivision (2) of this subsection, provided the parties or their attorneys consent to such referral. If the court accepts or modifies the report or amendment, the court shall issue a decree.

(5) The court shall give notice to the parties and their attorneys of the time and place of any hearing under this subsection.

(b) A probate magistrate or attorney probate referee assigned by the Probate Court Administrator pursuant to section 45a-123a may hear any matter referred to such probate magistrate or attorney probate referee by the truancy clinic established in section 45a-8c.

(c) Each probate magistrate and attorney probate referee shall be sworn to faithfully perform the duties of a probate magistrate or attorney probate referee, as the case may be, and shall have all the powers conferred by law upon judges of probate for procuring the attendance of witnesses and for punishing for contempt.

(1949 Rev., S. 6830; P.A. 80-476, S. 61; P.A. 96-173; P.A. 09-114, S. 18; P.A. 11-177, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 80-476 divided section into Subsecs. and rephrased provisions but made no substantive change; Sec. 45-22 transferred to Sec. 45a-123 in 1991; P.A. 96-173 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting former provisions re appointment of committee and adding provision re appointment of disinterested person or former judge of probate, hearing of matter, report and findings, and amended Subsec. (c) by increasing fee from $5 to $250 per diem and adding provision re payment by Probate Court Administration Fund if party unable to pay fee; P.A. 09-114 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) by replacing provisions re appointment of committee with provisions re referral of matters to probate magistrates or attorney probate referees and findings and reports of such magistrates and referees, and deleted former Subsec. (c) re committee fees, effective January 5, 2011; P.A. 11-177 added new Subsec. (b) re hearing of matters referred by the truancy clinic and redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c), effective July 13, 2011.

Annotation to former section 45-22:

Report of committee will not be rejected when unbalanced where lack of balance resulted from item which parties had agreed to and defendant made payments, chargeable to decedent, that exceeded discrepancy. 150 C. 637.