Legal Question in Family Law in Kansas

This is a great question, because I have seen it answered both ways by different judges in different courts. The concept of joint legal custody includes a duty for both parents to communicate and to be involved in the decision-making process regarding a child's education. That seems to indicate that one parent who has information should share it with the other parent.

On the other hand, the free access of both parents to school information, in person and over the internet, has made it virtually unnecessary for one parent to depend on the other for school information. In contentious situations, the court is likely to order that both parents are responsible for looking into the child's school schedule and activities themselves. That prevents the situation where one parent alleges that information has been withheld, and it prevents one parent from bearing the burden of collecting and distributing all school information. Unless one parent has been banned from the school, this latter procedure seems to be the best solution.

Always look to the language of your parenting plan paperwork for an answer. If the situation is not covered, then an informal agreement can be used to rule the parents' future conduct. If that is not enough, then additional parenting plan provisions can be added after negotiation, mediation or a court hearing.