If you are involved in a custody case or possibly even a maintenance case, the answer is yes. Although as a general rule medical records are private, once you put your health at issue, you have effectively waived that privacy right. Your spouse's attorney can then force you to produce them through the discovery process or subpoena them directly from your medical provider. Under Kentucky's Family Court Rules of Practice and Procedure you can be required to sign an authorization for the release of such information to the opposing attorney.
Your physical, mental and emotional health is always at issue anytime you ask the court to make a determination of child custody. Moreover, if you are seeking maintenance and claiming that your health in some way inhibits your ability to work and earn a living, then you have made your physical health a factor for the court to consider and essentially given the other side the right to snoop through your medical history.
If this becomes an issue in your case, you should talk to your lawyer about your concerns. This is not a time to be shy or to keep things from your attorney if there are potentially dangerous or embarrassing things in your medical history. Your lawyer may be able to file a motion with the court to limit the information that the other side can get or to prevent it from coming in altogether if it is not actually relevant to a case. If your lawyer knows all of the facts of the situation he can better advise you on how to proceed and protect your interests in court.
Photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal ArchivesLabels: alimony, child custody, confidentiality, custody, disability, divorce, divorce lawyer, family law, family law attorney, settlement, Temporary relief
