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In many states, yes!
20 states have direct laws regarding the duty of step parents to support their children.
Additionally, most other states hold a Doctrine of Necessaries that makes step parents liable for basic living expenses such as food, shelter and medical bills of their spouses, children and step children.
In states that use this doctrine, while one spouse is not automatically liable for general debts incurred by the other spouse, such as credit card debt for non-essentials, a spouse can be held liable for the spouse and children's medical expenses and even the portion of credit card debt that can be traced to things like groceries, clothes and doctors' fees.
This situation is especially relevant when a custodial natural parent who has remarried loses his or her job and is unable to pay for basic bills. Even when a second, non-custodial parent may also be held liable for a portion of the children's bills, the step parent (living in the same household) can be held liable for the custodial parent's portion of those bills. In community property states, the liability is even more clear cut, allowing creditors to garnish a step parent's wages directly for severe outstanding debt when unable to collect from his or her spouse.
Additionally, a step parent who is providing health insurance for child (ie carrying children on an employer's policy) can also be held responsible through contractual liability, as he or she is the legal guarantor for any charges incurred while using this insurance.
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Can it help custody case if Childs new step parent is mentally unstable?
Probably....
Can a step parent exclude a biological parent from medical insurance access?
Can a step parent exclude a biological parent from medical insurance access?
Who is responsible for unpaid medical bills of deceased step-father in North Carolina?
The estate is responsible for any remaining debts. That will include medical bills. If there is not enough in the estate to cover them, someone will not get paid.
Is step parent responsible for anything?
Is a step parent responsible for a disabled child
What if the parent is dead and the other parent is no where to be found and only the step parent is around?
The step-parent should petition for custody or legal guardianship.
Can a step parent take custody of a step child if the spouse dies and the real parent whereabouts are unknown?
yes, if the step parent name is assigned to the child.
Can a step parent sign a marriage certificate for their step child?
Only a guardian or parent can do this.
Do step-children have a right to a step-parent's life insurance policies?
No. Step-children have no rights or interest regarding a step-parent's life insurance unless they are a named beneficiary on the policy. Step-children have no rights in a step-parents estate unless they are named in the step-parent's Will. In that case a step-parent can leave the proceeds of a life insurance policy to a step-child by their Last Will and Testament.
What are the legal step parent rights in Tennessee?
For a step parent to have parental rights over the step child they would have to adopt.
What is your step parent's parents to you?
your step grandma and your step grandpa
Do step parents have legal rights to their step kids if the biological parent is unfit to take care of the kids?
Yes and no. If the biological parent is proven unfit to care for they're children then the step parent has the right to APPLY for custody of his/her step children. Keep in mind that being married to the biological parent doesn't automatically make them the parent of the children nor does it make them they're legal guardian so there are no guarantees that the step parent will be given custody. If the children are happy with the step parent and no one in the biological parents family protest the application and the step parent is proven fit to care for the child(ren) then most usually the courts will award the step parent custody.
Who gets custody if parent dies and children are with step parent in PA?
The step parent gets control of the kids. If the step parent doesn't want them, any of the relatives of parent that died can take care of them. If nobody wants them then they go to an orphanage until they are 18.
