Q: Is the cost of a drug inpatient program responsibility of non-custodial parent? My daughter is 17.
Daughter was caught with drugs at school and sent to juvenile hall. She was released but required to submit to random drug tests. She failed two of these, and was recently ordered to attend an inpatient drug program as a condition of her release from juvie. Ex sent me a screenshot of an email from program director with some costs. Told me to pay her the costs of the program. I have been completely estranged from my daughter since divorce about year and a half ago.
The question is whether a judicially ordered drug program would be considered a "reasonable and necessary" health care expense as specified in the decree.
A: The answer to your question lay in your Final decree of Divorce, your Order of Conservatorship, Mediation Settlement Agreement, or whatever document you have that lays out each parent's rights and duties. Whichever parent is responsible for medical care that is who must pay for the program. Sometimes this is a shared expense. Your being estranged from your daughter does not relieve you of your rights and duties as her parent.
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