WHY COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS NEED TO GET THEIR LEGAL AFFAIRS IN ORDER

Once your child turns eighteen, he or she becomes an adult in the eyes of the law.  As a legal adult, your child has responsibilities and legal rights.  However, as a parent, your rights with respect to your children are dramatically diminished.  In other words, parents lose the legal authority to make decisions for their “adult” child, which includes the ability to access that child’s medical information, make medical decisions on behalf of that child, manage their child’s financial affairs, or access that child’s grades or other academic information.  HIPAA privacy laws prevent the release of medical information to the parents of a child eighteen or older, including in an emergency.  Further, as a result of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), colleges may not release student information, including grades, to individuals other than the student, even if the parent is paying for that student’s education.

As a parent of a child approaching age eighteen, you should take steps to ensure that your child has the proper legal documents in place in the event of an unforeseen emergency.  If your child is college-bound, read the full blog on our website to find out what you need to do to protect his health and finances and to guarantee you can continue to make both medical, financial, and educational decisions on behalf of your child. 

North Shore College Consulting is available to hold your hand and walk you through the entire college application process.  Our goal is to make this process as manageable and stress-free as possible. Contact us for a free, complimentary consultation so we can show you what we do.  Amy (847) 363-9201/Debbie (847) 609-6112 or info@nscollegeconsulting.net