Should you call your lawyer before scheduling a playdate?
Do sleepovers and playdates require liability waivers these days?
Overlawyered caught wind of this new trend that has parents requiring their children’s friends to sign legal documentation protecting them from legal action stemming from events that may occur at their houses during playdates.
A post on popular mommy blog Free Range Kids details a “4-page liability waiver” that a family asked their neighbor to sign before their kids could play at their house.
We can’t help but wonder, has this become the standard?
So tell us, have you ever been asked to sign a liability waiver when dropping your kids off at their friends’ houses? Sound off in the comments!
Comments
Liability Wavier - Playdate
Anonymous &mdash Feb 10th, 2012 - 12:23pm
We were presented with a Liability Wavier about 6 years ago so our son could skateboard at a friends house. While I was surprised, I felt bad the parents felt they needed to do this to protect themselves. The father built a "half pipe" skate ramp for his son and friends to play on. This family is very active in the community and own a few businesses as well. I could see how a child might get hurt, and they would be a traget for a lawsuit. Sad that this family opened up their yard and hearts to kids in the community but had to fear someone would blame them if their child was injured, even though skating boarding had its own risks and any parent who allowed their child to skate should have been aware of these risks.