Parental Consent for Children with Separated Parents

If parents are separated, both parents with shared parental responsibility must provide consent for all upcoming paediatric appointments. If one parent has sole legal responsibility for medical decisions, documentation confirming this must be provided.

Court orders and signed consent forms must be submitted before the appointment. 

Failure to provide the required documents in a timely manner may result in the appointment being postponed or cancelled.

This page outlines the responsibilities and commitments we consider essential for managing your child's care while respecting the rights of both parents. To ensure we provide the best care for your child, we request that both parents agree to the following terms, unless one parent has sole decision-making custody:

• Both parents must consent to assessments and management conducted at Monash Obstetrics Kids.
• Parents should commit to being courteous and civil during all consultations.
• In joint parenting cases, the parent arranging the appointment must inform the other parent of the appointment time and confirm their availability before scheduling.
• All bills are to be paid at the time of the appointment. Any financial arrangements or Medicare rebates must be negotiated between the parents, with reception staff not involved in these arrangements. The parent arranging the appointment is responsible for payment unless court orders specify otherwise.
• The parent who organises the appointment is responsible for sharing the correspondence with the other parent.
• Relevant information provided by either parent may be disclosed in the reports made by the paediatricians.