9. a. The Veteran Advocate shall seek the approval of a veteran, the veteran’s estate, or adult guardian, as applicable, or obtain the approval of a court of competent jurisdiction, to conduct an investigation authorized under the provisions of this act, P.L.2025, c.172 (C.38A:21A-1 et al.).
b. If court approval is sought, the court, in reviewing an application for approval, shall consider the investigative needs of the Veteran Advocate. Upon consideration of the factors in this subsection, the court may order any alternative methods for obtaining the required information.