These scenarios are not fun to think about, but if your child is heading to the U.S. for university, you need to be aware of your legal right to information about him or her. For example, many parents do not realize that if their child is 18 or older, the parents are not automatically able to check up on how their students are doing in their courses, even though the parents pay the bills. This article outlines some steps you should look into before you drop your child off or put them on a plane to university.
Once your child turns 18, as a parent you lose the legal authority to make decisions for them since they are now considered an adult in the eyes of the law. This includes the ability to access their medical information and the ability to represent them in certain situations or manage their financial affairs. If no delegation of a decision maker is made then you, as a parent, will have no authority to act on their behalf in the event they become incapacitated. Read more…