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Are we responsible for braces?

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hinojosasarah

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Idaho
My husbands divorce decree states that my husband carrys health care and dental care insurance for the children. Recently the ex-wife called and said the 15yr old daughter needed braces, after looking into it we found that on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most severe) the daughter was a 3 for need of braces. The braces cost $4500.00. The orthodontist wanted a down of 1,000.00 before she could recieve the braces. The girls are on my insurance (step mom) and starting in march my insurance would have covered a thousand dollars for the procedure. The mom did not want to wait and said that we come up with 500 dollars right now or she would sue. The braces are cosmetic and not a necessity. Are we liable to pay for this or even half?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
 


Isis1

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Idaho
My husbands divorce decree states that my husband carrys health care and dental care insurance for the children. Recently the ex-wife called and said the 15yr old daughter needed braces, after looking into it we found that on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most severe) the daughter was a 3 for need of braces. The braces cost $4500.00. The orthodontist wanted a down of 1,000.00 before she could recieve the braces. The girls are on my insurance (step mom) and starting in march my insurance would have covered a thousand dollars for the procedure. The mom did not want to wait and said that we come up with 500 dollars right now or she would sue. The braces are cosmetic and not a necessity. Are we liable to pay for this or even half?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

YOU will never ever be liable to pay for the child's braces. mom would not be able to win a lawsuit forcing YOU to pay.

however, dad should log on with his own ID and state the exact wording of his court order.
 
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Ohiogal

Queen Bee
you will never ever be liable to pay for the child's braces. mom would not be able to win a lawsuit forcing you to pay.

however, dad should log on with his own ID and state the exact wording of his court order.
Don't mislead -- your answer may lead OP to believe that dad will have to pay nothing. Dad may be extremely liable for paying. And it is also a double post of a thread that was closed. how OP knows the need for the child to get braces is a 3 or that they are cosmetic is information that is necessary -- who determined it is strictly cosmetic? On what scale is the child a 3?
 
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Isis1

Senior Member
Don't mislead -- your answer may lead OP to believe that dad will have to pay nothing. Dad may be extremely liable for paying. And it is also a double post of a thread that was closed. how OP knows the need for the child to get braces is a 3 or that they are cosmetic is information that is necessary -- who determined it is strictly cosmetic? On what scale is the child a 3?
i forgot the caps again...rereading that, i get your point....:eek:
 

penelope10

Senior Member
I've never heard of an official scale regarding the need for braces that runs from a 1 to a 10. Lil Bit's dentist was the one that advised the need for braces and referred us to several different orthodontists. (We were shown x-rays etc and everything was explained in great detail about why he was making the referral--never used a point scale). In the case of your step child, who provided the information regarding a scale from one to ten and that the child's rating was at a three? Is this scale recognized by any reputable dental organization?

My older daughter also had braces and her dentist never used a rating scale either.
 

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