In divorced families, do both parents need to sign the consent form?
No. It is only necessary for one parent (or guardian) to sign the form or provide verbal consent. However, it is essential that the parent granting consent be legally entitled to do so. We have all heard how contentious divorces can be, to the point where some divorce decrees have stipulated that a non-custodial parent be stripped of parental rights. If a natural parent has no parental rights, that individual is precluded from granting consent on behalf of his or her child. Is consent dependent in any way on who is paying the bill? No. Consent can be granted only by an adult patient for his or her own treatment, by a parent or guardian on behalf of a minor child, or by a guardian legally approved by the court for an adult incapable of granting his or her own consent (e.g., Alzheimer’s, mental illness, retardation). The person paying the bill might or might not be the person legally authorized to grant consent. For example, the bill-paying parents of a 21 year-old college student – thou
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