Practice area: Family

I have joint legal custody, u was not included in the choice of school or any discussion, in the court order is days all decisions must be discussed between patents. Mother also refuses to let me have a copy of school agreement. Can I force the school to give me a copy? My daughters school won't give me any information about her schooling or contract because I'm not on the contract.

Laurel, MD Flag

The school is required to by statute to provide all of your child's records and information. If they refuse to do so, I would ask them who their corporate attorney was so you may contact the attorney. If they provide you with that information I would call immediately and let the attorney know what is going on. Hopefully their attorney will correct them and let them know what the applicable law is. If not, you may want let them know the actual law that applies, which is:

Md. Code, Fam. Law Art., § 9-104 Right of noncustodial parent to medical, dental and educational records providing that:

“Unless otherwise ordered by a court, access to medical, dental, and educational records concerning the child may not be denied to a parent because the parent does not have physical custody of the child.'

It does not matter if you are listed as the contact person or not. If does not even matter if you have jpoint legal custody or if the other parent has solelegal custody or not. What matters is that you are the child's parent and therefore have the right to that information from the school.