Judicial principles and studies
Guardianship and Newborn Medical Expenses: Father's Obligation and Solvent Mother
A short summary explaining the father's guardianship-based obligation to pay a newborn's treatment costs, the mother's role when the father is unable or absent, and the legal basis of obligations arising directly from law.
Updated: 10 September 2026
Prepared and reviewed by: Ashraf Al-Khawaja
Subject
The presented facts indicate the defendant is the father of the child born at Irbid Specialized Hospital, and the newborn was placed in the NICU and received treatment. Guardianship attributed to the father covers upbringing, preservation, care, supervision of the minor's personal affairs, education, discipline and medical treatment.
Summary
Personal Status law assigns primary responsibility for children's maintenance to the father, including medical and education expenses; when the father is insolvent or absent so that recovery from him is impracticable, a solvent mother may be required to meet those expenses, which remain a debt against the father recoverable when he regains means. Civil law principles recognize that some rights and obligations arise directly from law as a source of obligation. In this case there is no evidence of payment by either parent, so the father is obliged as guardian to cover the amount, and the mother is liable by her personal undertaking to pay treatment costs; however, their liability is not automatically joint and several absent a statutory provision or an agreement, which is not established here.
Practical significance
The legal framework supports claims for NICU or treatment costs against the natural guardian and contemplates recourse to a solvent parent when statutory conditions of parental inability or absence apply. This summary highlights the role of law as a direct source of obligations without introducing facts beyond the presented points. This content is an educational summary and not a judicial text or legal advice.
Sources and references
Verify the official text and latest amendments before relying on this material professionally.