Who Makes Medical Decisions for Your Child After Divorce?~ 3 min read

ByJennifer Piper Hours Categories Divorce

After your divorce, medical decisions for your child depend on whether you share joint legal custody or if one parent has sole legal custody. In Missouri, most parents have joint legal custody, which means you work together on major healthcare choices. If there are disagreements on medical issues, you can use a parenting coordinator to help make those decisions.

Understanding Medical Decision-Making After Divorce

When you and your co-parent are no longer married, who makes medical decisions for your child can feel uncertain. Missouri law provides a structure for those decisions through joint legal custody or sole legal custody, but your agreement or court order ultimately guides how decisions are made.

Joint or Sole Legal Custody

In Missouri, most parents receive joint legal custody. This means you and your co-parent share responsibility for major decisions, including medical care. You talk through options, exchange information, and aim to agree on what is best for your child.

When one parent has sole legal custody, you still communicate about your child’s needs, but that parent has the final say. Many parents also choose to divide responsibilities by topic when working through Mediation or Collaborative Divorce. For example, one parent may handle medical decisions while the other handles educational or activity-related choices.

Customizing Your Parenting Plan

Mediation and Collaborative Divorce give you more flexibility than a court order issued after a contested hearing. You can outline exactly how decisions are made and communicated. Many parents choose to include guidelines such as:

  • How medical information is shared
  • How long each parent has to respond
  • What steps must be taken before a final decision is made

These details help lower conflict and make expectations clear for both households.

Using a Parenting Coordinator

A parenting coordinator can help when disagreements continue after your divorce. In Missouri, you can use a parenting coordinator if you both agree. They first try to help you reach a resolution. If that is not possible, they will make the decision for you.

Parenting coordinators can assist with daily issues that judges rarely address, such as:

  • Exchange times and holiday schedules
  • Activities
  • Screen time
  • Transportation and appointments

They provide quicker guidance on issues that affect your child’s routine and reduce the stress of ongoing conflict.

Acting in Emergencies

Emergencies require immediate action. If your child needs urgent medical care, you get help first. As soon as it is safe to do so, you notify the other parent. Good communication supports your child’s wellbeing whether you share joint legal custody, or one parent has sole legal custody.

Contact Family Ally

At Family Ally, we understand how important it is to make medical decisions that support your child’s wellbeing. Our team helps parents work through decision-making challenges using Mediation, Collaborative Divorce or as a parenting coordinator, so you can focus on what is best for your child. Call Jennifer Piper at 314-449-9800 or contact us online to schedule a consultation and learn how we can support your family.

Family Ally is located at 130 S. Bemiston Ave., Suite 608, St. Louis, MO 63105.

FAQ’s

1. Does joint legal custody mean equal parenting time?
No. Legal custody addresses decision-making authority, not parenting time.

2. Can a judge appoint a parenting coordinator?
No. Both parents must agree before a parenting coordinator is appointed in Missouri.

3. What happens if we strongly disagree on a specific treatment or medication?
Joint legal custody requires collaboration. If you cannot agree, mediation or a parenting coordinator can help resolve the issue faster than pursuing a court hearing.

Jennifer Piper

Jennifer R. Piper is a family law attorney, mediator, and parenting coordinator with more than 20 years of experience serving families in the St. Louis area. She is certified as a Guardian ad Litem and frequently appointed by courts to represent children in high-conflict cases. Jennifer is a former Chair of the Family and Juvenile Law Section of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and an active leader in local and state bar organizations.
Her professional recognition includes being named to The Best Lawyers in America® (2017–2025), Missouri Super Lawyers (2021–2024), and receiving a Women’s Justice Award from Missouri Lawyers Weekly. Jennifer also holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. She regularly speaks on family law topics and has helped shape family court procedures through her service on multiple committees.

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