What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia
CP and NCP share joint legal custody. The modified custody agreement stated that the CP was to cover the child on employer provided health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses were to be shared by 50/50 by both parents.
The CP now claims that the NCP owes $2000 over the last 6 months (total of $4000 of non-covered expenses).
The expenses he has listed so far:
Is there any standard used by the courts that the expenses must be medically necessary, that the parent seeking medical treatment mitigate the costs to both parents, or that the CP must consult with the NCP on medical decisions when they have joint legal custody? The CP has not shared anything but the most basic of information regarding the treatments, has not consulted with the NCP about any of the medical decisions, including the decision to go out-of-network for most of the treatment.
The CP is up for a contempt hearing this month and has been vigorously attempting to make a "deal" with the NCP to drop the charges in exchange for not having to pay all the bills. The concern is that the CP is intentionally running up the bills going out-of-network to use a superior financial position to force the NCP to just accept the continued violations of the Custody Agreement or be buried under debt.
CP and NCP share joint legal custody. The modified custody agreement stated that the CP was to cover the child on employer provided health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses were to be shared by 50/50 by both parents.
The CP now claims that the NCP owes $2000 over the last 6 months (total of $4000 of non-covered expenses).
The expenses he has listed so far:
The only medical treatment the child actually received was during the ER visit. The NCP wasn't even aware that the child was in therapy or that the therapist chosen was out of network, and the child underwent weeks of expensive testing to diagnosis "poor posture".
Is there any standard used by the courts that the expenses must be medically necessary, that the parent seeking medical treatment mitigate the costs to both parents, or that the CP must consult with the NCP on medical decisions when they have joint legal custody? The CP has not shared anything but the most basic of information regarding the treatments, has not consulted with the NCP about any of the medical decisions, including the decision to go out-of-network for most of the treatment.
The CP is up for a contempt hearing this month and has been vigorously attempting to make a "deal" with the NCP to drop the charges in exchange for not having to pay all the bills. The concern is that the CP is intentionally running up the bills going out-of-network to use a superior financial position to force the NCP to just accept the continued violations of the Custody Agreement or be buried under debt.