New York Child Custody and Visitation-FAQ | Child Joint Custody

NY has, understandably, a huge number of child custody disputes between parents whose relationship has broken down irretrievably.

Q. What is custody?

A. There are two parts to custody. One is the right and responsibility to make decisions for a child (legal custody). The other is where a child will live (residential or physical custody).

Read also New York state child support laws.
Q. How old does a child have to be before a New York court can’t make orders about the child’s custody and visitation?

A. Eighteen.

Q. What is the difference between joint custody and sole custody?

A. In joint custody, the parents make major decisions about the child together – decisions about education, health, and religion, for example. The smaller, day-to-day decisions in joint custody are made by the parent who is physically caring for the child at the time. In sole custody, just one parent has the right to make the major decisions.

Q. In awarding custody, do New York courts favor mothers more than fathers or fathers more than mothers?

A. No. Today’s courts do not favor either parent more than the other. The law says a custody award is based on what’s best for the child.

via childjointcustody.com

Exorbitant hospital bill

Dear Mr Tan

My friend's godfather had to be hospitalized for several days because of a heart problem, a samaritan from his church readily helped oversee his admission and treatment. 

 

The samaritan settled the bill - I think it was $16,000 or $18,000 for - and then asked my friend to pay her.   

My friend examined the bill and refused to pay her yet cos it was just too exorbitant. The medicines alone (including antibiotics) cost $6,000!

So she went to the Net to check (and found a certain medication cos far far less) and asked for a meeting with the hospital. Earlier, when she called the hospital, a medical staff couldn't explain why the charges were so high. (We suspect it could be a scam involving the Samaritan and the hospital staff preying on sick, retiring people.).

A Straits Times journalist did a story on the need to be transparent on the medical/medicine charges), taking up on an issue that Sylvia Lim had raised in Parliament. That was just a few months before the general election. I hope the new Health Minister would make improvements.
CJ