Legal Question in Family Law in California
My ex-wife and i have 50/50 custody of our 15yr old son with no court mandated financial support arrangements. She is now asking that i pay 1/2 of some family therapy sessions that i believe are primarily for her new marriage, however our son has been attending these sessions. Am i legaly bound to pay for 1/2 of this expense and do i have a right to ask for copies of these sessions? Also, my ex-wife, her therapist and my son have made it clear that he wants to live with me. I want the same, however she will not allow this until i sign a contract that she's drawing up. There have also been some other medical expenses of which i was not consulted in....am i liable for those expenses as well?
1 Answer from Attorneys
If your judgement states that you are responsible for 1/2 of unreimbursed medical expenses and the therapy is through a licensed provider, you are probably on the hook for this and any other un-reimbursed medical expenses that are presented to you for reimbursement in a timely manner. You have the right to ask for copies of the sessions, but the provider has a greater duty to refuse your request(due to patient confidentiality considerations). If your son wants to live with you full time and mother won't agree, you have the option of filing for an Order to Show Cause hearing with the court as to your son living with you full time. Because he is over 14 years of age, if properly presented to the court, your son's wishes will carry some weight at the hearing.