It returns a Model object, always creating it.

• string $type - The model type to instantiate
• string $prefix - Prefix for the model class name. Optional.
• array $config - Configuration array for model. Optional.
• return \JModelLegacy|boolean - A \JModelLegacy instance or false on failure

public static function getInstance($type, $prefix = '', $config = array())
 {
 $type = preg_replace('/[^A-Z0-9_\.-]/i', '', $type);
 $modelClass = $prefix . ucfirst($type);

if (!class_exists($modelClass))
 {
 jimport('joomla.filesystem.path');
 $path = \JPath::find(self::addIncludePath(null, $prefix), self::_createFileName('model', array('name' => $type)));

if (!$path)
 {
 $path = \JPath::find(self::addIncludePath(null, ''), self::_createFileName('model', array('name' => $type)));
 }

if (!$path)
 {
 return false;
 }

require_once $path;

if (!class_exists($modelClass))
 {
 \JLog::add(\JText::sprintf('JLIB_APPLICATION_ERROR_MODELCLASS_NOT_FOUND', $modelClass), \JLog::WARNING, 'jerror');

return false;
 }
 }

return new $modelClass($config);
 }