s ta re s ,'le g a l
c u s to d y "
(w h o
h a s th e
lc g a lrig h t to m a k e d e c is ;o n so n b c h a lf
o f th e c h ild rc la tirg to th e c h ild s lic a lth ,
e d u c a tio n a n d w c lfa re ), n o r" p h y s ic a l
c u s to d y "{w ith
w h o rn
d o e sth e c h ild
re s id c) , d e te rm in e sw ho nus! c o n s e n r t o
th c tre a tme nt o f th c c h ild . V h e na c o u rt
o rd e ff " jo in tl c g a Lc u s t o d y , " th is u s u a l-
L ym e .n s th a t th c p a re n tss h a rc d lc ris h r
a n d r e s p o n s ib ilityt o
m a k c im p rta n r
d e c is io n so r1 b e h a lf o f fic ir
c h ild . L r
o th e rw o rd s , e irh e rp :re n t n 1 iy c o n s e n r
t oth c trc :ttm e D to f fic
c h ild , u n le s sth c
c o rrt lra ss p e c ific din th e c o u rto rd c f th e
c irc u n rs ra n c c stu d e r w h ic hth e c o n s e n t
o f b o th p a rc rrtsi s rc q u irc c l.
T lr c .ilfis ts c a n c h h e r
lo o k a trh cm osr
r.c c n te o u rt o rd c rfe S rrd in Sc u s io d y
io du s it.rtio n ,o rth c yc a n c .illth ea tto r-
n (l
rc p rc s e n rin S
tb c p !re n tw ho sccks
rrc .'rn rc n r
l(,rrh cc b ild in(rd c L to a s c c r-
t.rn$ h c rfie rrh c n )o s rre c c n tc o u rto rd c r
s trc s rh . fiu rc n ts c e k in gs L rc hrrc rlo rre n r
rl)cu n ilitc rrlrie h rto c o n s c n ro n b c h ,rlf
i , i r h e e h ild .T h is w o u ld ,o f e o u rs c ,b e
d o tlc!v ,rh rb c k n o w le d s e .D d p c n n is -
\r(,no ld let.rc u t s c e k irrg
rrc 0 tn c D tf ( x
th c e h 1 l d . I f i h ca r r o r n c yis c a llc d ,rh c
tlx 'n p ls r c n D lc t rh c fito rn e yk n o w !h a r
h ro r s h c w ill re ly u p o nth c lrto rrre y !
o n l
rc p rc s c n ta rio n
.n d rh rt h eor shc
w rlld o e L rn rc D t
rh e c o D v c rs rtio lin rh c
re c o rtlso l th e c h ild . A h c r n a tiv e ly ,
rh c
th e ra p is rc a D a s k rh c a tro m e yto c o n -
liu n
b y le ttc r th e rc p fc s c D ra rio n sn u d c
re g tri(lin srh c n D s rr e c e D tc o u (
o rd e f
.trtd th c q u c s trD
o f " lc g a lc u s to d y ."
S u p p o s eth e a tro rn c y c o n fin n srh a t
h c r c l i c n th a s!h ( u n ih ie ra lru th o riryk )
.o n s .n r
t o
tre a tm c D t u n d e r d re n o s t
rc c c n t c o L rrto rd .f,
a n d
rh e rh e rip is r
.o D lD e n .e srre .tn e D r o fth e c lild . L a tc r,
rh c o th e r p a re D tc o m e s fo rw .rd
a n d
d e m a ld s ,am ongo rh e r th iflg s , d ra t th e
d re n fis t
s io p tre a L in gth c c h ild .f t
i s
s o n re tim e su s c fu lro s u g g e s o rh a t p a r
crt, tlh om a y b c rl1 rh e ra n g ry ,
rh a th eo r
s h eta lk w ilh h is o r h e ra rto m c yr o h :v e
IIu t a fto rn c y c o n ta c tr h e a t t o r D e yf o r th e
p a re n t w ho
y ru g h trre a n n c D rfo rth e
c h ild . S u r c ly b o th a tto rn e y sw ill a g r c c
o n tb e la w ; ifth e y d o r't, ih e yc a n p c r-
h a p sb r i n g t h e i s s u cb e t o r erh ec o u rr.T h k
a tp ro a c h o ftc r m o v e sth c .n g ry p a re n r
aw avfro n
th c th o trg h to (a la q ru it o ra
4 4 r^",- r"."^*"^ "^ ,,^ "
c o m p la in tto th e lic e n s in sb o a rd .
k
is n o r u D u s u n lfc 'r c o u rt o rd e rs to
b ev a s u e o r a n b ;8 u o u s .h
s u c hc a s e s ,
Ih e ra p is tsa r c u s u a llyn o t c o n fo n a b le
in te rp re tin gth e in ie n to fth c c o u rto rd e r
o r d e te rm in iig w h e th e fo r ro r th e c o .
d itio n s s p c c ifie dn r th e c o u rt o rd e r h a v e
b e e n s a tis fie d . F o rio s r in c e , rh e c o u rt
o rd c r n is h t
o rd e f jo in rle g a lc u s to d n
b L rts p c c ify th a tth c p a rrie ,"c o n s u tt"
w ith
o u e
in o rh c f
p rio i
r o
o b r s in iD g
" m c d ic a lc a r e "
fo r tL c c h ild .W h a tifo n e
p a re n ts a y sh c h a s " c o n s u h c d "r i i h
rh e
o th e r p a rc n t a n d th e o rh $
p a re rtd o c s
n o t w .1 n tth e c h ild ro b c in p s y c h o rh c r-
rfy ?
D oes" m c d ic a lc :tre " in c h d e c o u n -
re lin gb y a n M F T ? Ifind o u b r ,d 1 et h e r
rp is tc a n d c c lin c ro rre a tu n ril rh e re is
'n o r e
c ld riryo rc a n in d ic d red ra tth c c o n -
s e n to f b o th p a rc n tsis d e s ir c d .
E x e r c i3 in g
D ls c re tlo n
S u p p o s c :p a re n ts e e k strc a tm e n rfo r h c r
s ix -y c :r< td
c h ild ,a n d
rh c th e ra p is t
d c tc n lin e s
th tltth c
p a rc o rh a sb c c n
r w a f d c d v i s h a t i o n( b u tn o p h y s ic a l
c u s -
to d y ).trdio in tle g ilc u s to d y (w ith o u ta
r\u20ac q u irc D c n t fo r th e c o n s c n ro f b o rh ).
'lh c
p n rc n t s e e k in g trc a tn re n r fo rf i c
c lild
r c q u \u20ac s t st h a tth c o th e r p a r c l tn o t
b c n rn x m e d
o f th c
c b ild 's tr c n u u c n r .
T h r s !n d s im ila r s c c n l r r i o s a r c c o m | n o n .
V h ile
th e th e ra p is tu ra yb e p e rm ittc db y
ta wto tre a t th e c h ild w ir h th cc o n s e n t
o fth e p rre n t{h o
h a s b e e r a w a r d c dv i s -
tta tio r
a rd
jo in tle g a lc u s to d y , s o u n d
d is c rc ti(n ro h e n d ic ta tc so th \u20ac rw is e .S u p ,
p o s e ,h o w e v e q th a ttr\u20ac ln n c n r
o frh e
c h ildd o e s b c g m . \(/h lr
rris h t th crh e r
P e rh a p sthc firstw o rd s
our of th e
c h ild w illp c rta i.ro d ru g u s cb yd re c u s -
to d i:rl p a rc n t o rv a g u e a llc g a tio n so f
,b u s e ,rc g le c to r e m o tio n a l h a rmb y th c
c u s to d i.l p a re n r.W h a tif th e p a re n tw h o
b rin g s th cc h ild to trc a tm e n r w a n ts r{)
b e b e ttc r p o s irio n e din a c u s to d y b a ttle
a n d is h te n d in gro c a ll th e th e ra p is ra s
a w itn e s s a n d to
s u b p o e n ath e c h ild 's
rc c o rd s ino rd e r to p rc y a ili
lh c litig a
tio n ? Y /h a t if th c ro n 'c u s ro d ia l p a re n r
h a su n d u lr in flu e n c e drh e c h ild n r o rd e f
top ro m p t a c h ild:lb u s e rc p o r! b y th e
tre a tin g
rh e ra p is t?S u c h
o c c u re
c c s
o fte n ta L e p la c e .lfth e th c ra p is r in itia f
l r
in d ic rte sth a t h e o r
s h e w o u ld
b c
u n c o m fo rt.b lctre a tio g rh e c h ild w ith -
o u t th e irn o w le d g co rc o n s e rto f th e p a r-
c n t w ithth ls ic a l c u s to d l,th e a b o v e -
d e s c rib e ds c e n a rioc a n b e rv o id c d .
A u th o rlz a tio n s
t o
R e le a s e
In fo rm a tio n
V h e n tre a tin ga c h ild w ith p :rc D ta lc o tr-
s e rt, th c g c rc ra l ru le is th a t e irh e rp a r,
e .rc ln
s ig n a n ru rh o riz a rim
fo n n
t o
re le rs ec o n fid e n tia lL n fo rm a tio na b o u r
th c c h ild to r rh ird p a fiy .T h e ra p is ts :rc
w c ll
rd v is e d ,w h e r e v e r p o s s ib lc ,t o
o b ra nth c s is n rtu re o f b o th p ire n ts .I r
i s irn p o rra n td rifth c rn p is tsb e a w a reo f
th c liw
in d r e ir rc s p c d iv e s ta te sfc g a n l-
ir r gd rc nr r r r o w q u c s rim
of whenrh c
n rm o r,a s o tp o s e dt o
.r p .lre n ro f p d r-
e u ts ,is rh e o n e w h r..r
m ustsignrn a u d ro L -
iz a tio n fo rn r ino rd c r R ) re le rs cc o n fi
d c n tirlin fo rn ra tio n,rl)o u !th c m rln )rlD
(lilifo rria ,
fo r n rs ra n c e ,.rln n n ,r k drc
one w ho n rL rs r
s ig n rh c a u iln ) r iz ir io n
lo rrn ifth c r
rrc rc o u ld lra rch c rs e lfc o n -
s c n te d to
rh {r ln c n rrl h e u ld ltrc a h re
t
b e in sr\u20ac n d e r0 d .
T lre h w s in c re h s rirc
v a ry
w id c ly
a u d
w ith
c o u s rc le r.rb le
n u a n c c itl rh is rc g rrd .
A s i D d i c A t \u20ac d i n i h us c c r io no
"L )c tc r-
n rin irgC u s to d n " in llr,n yc r s e s ir w ill
b e D c c c s s a fyto d !(.rn rire
th e c u s ro lly
,n d
v is iu r io n
a rra rg c n rc n ta s o rrlc rc d
b yth c c o u rt.'lh c p n rc n rwho hasy )lc
lc g a lc u s to d y w o L r ld o L d in N r ilys is D, t n
a u th o riz .tid l fo rn ro n
b c h a lf o fth e
n rin o r.lfth e reisjo jn t lc s a lc u s ro d y ,
th c
g e n c ra lru lej s th it e ith c rp a re n tc a n s ig n
tb c a u th o riz o tio
fo rD , u n le s trh c c o u rr
o rd c r
h a s
s p e c ific c l o th e rw is e . E vcr
th o u 8 h th e s ig n a tu rcof ooe p a rc n iD ry
b c le g a lly s u ffic ie n r,th e th c ra p is t m a y
w ant!o in s is tth a t b o th p a re n tss ig n d re
a u th o riz a
x r fo rn r.
l n n lo s ts trtc s , r r e r n a n c i p a t e d m i n c ' r
n ra y c o n s e D t
ro m e n ta lh c a k htr& rtm e lr
w ith o u tth e k n o w le d g cor consenrof a
p a re n t.T h e D u im u n
rg e fo r e m :n c r
p a n o n ! th e g ro u n d s fo r c m a n c ip a tio n
a n d th c n a n n e r o fe s ta b lis h in g e n 1 a n c i-
p a tx D
v a ry iro n
s ta te ro srite , A
la w -
fu lly e m a n c ip r tc d m in o r w o u ld
lik e lyb e
rh e o n e w h o w o u lds ig n a n a u rh o riz a
rio n fo rm
t o
re le a s ein fo rm a rio nr o
a
rh ird
p irty .
A d d itio n a lly ,th c .D a n c i