Family Law: termination of parental rights, rights of the child, child support. (USA)
After the divorce my ex-wife got custody to our daughter. Now she wants me to pay for my daughter’s private school and tutors. Moreover, my ex-wife plans a nose plastic surgery for the child and insists on my paying for that. I am against this surgery in general and not in a position to pay for it. Do I really have to pay for this surgery anyway?
Despite you are divorced with you wife both of you remain your child’s parents. However, as a rule, a parent that has custody has the right to make principal and major decisions regarding children’s life.
Could you give an example for “major” decision?
• the necessity of a nose plastic surgery;
• choosing child’s religion: if he/she will be raised as Jewish, Muslim or Russian orthodox;
• if a child joins the army or not;
• if he/she can get married before 18 or not;
• give a child a permission to get a drivers license and drive a car, etc.
The decision about the child’s education also falls to “major” category: a parent in custody decides weather a child attends a private or public school or gets a religious education.