You and your ex were briefly married, but only while your child was very young. Perhaps you got divorced when they were just two years old. You never had to choose a school for them or enroll them in classes because they were simply too young for it to be relevant.
But now a few years have gone by since your divorce, and your child is going to be starting school. If the two of you cannot agree on which school they should attend, who gets to make the decision? Who is in charge of picking the school? Can either one of you do it, or do you have to compromise?
A legal custody issue
School enrollment is a common legal custody issue. Remember that your child custody order should specify both physical and legal custody. The physical custody order determines where your child lives, while the legal custody order determines who makes key decisions about religion, education, finances, healthcare and much more.
It is possible that the order was written so that only one of you has legal custody, even if the two of you share physical custody and parenting time. If so, then the parent with legal custody can make the decision on their own.
But in many cases, courts will give shared custody to both parents, meaning they still get to be involved in these decisions. The two of you will likely need to find a compromise or a solution that works for both of you, as neither one of you can just choose the school without the approval of the other.
Navigating a dispute
Naturally, things like this can sometimes lead to significant disputes. It is crucial for parents to know what legal rights and options they have.