How have courts reviewed a report submitted by an independent evaluator prior to trial?

Father relies on Neumann v. Melgar, supra, 121 Cal.App.4th 152. In that case, an evaluator's report was filed prior to trial, but "[n]either party requested that the report be admitted into evidence or considered by the court." (Id. at p. 168.) At a hearing on the father's motion for a new trial, "the court initially believed it had reviewed the evaluator's report, but noted the record did not reflect such a review, and [the court] was willing to defer to the record. The court also recalled the report was outdated, although counsel for both parties agreed it was not." (Id. at pp. 168-169.) Based on these circumstances, the appellate court concluded that the trial court had not reviewed the evaluator's report. (Id. at p. 169.)