Nevada family-law case summaries

Ryan Stojack asked a lower court (the family division of the Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County) for access to his minor child's therapy records. The district court denied that request. Stojack then asked the Nevada Court of Appeals for a writ of mandamus — an extraordinary court order compelling a lower court to perform an act the law requires as a duty, or to correct an arbitrary or capricious exercise of discretion. The Court of Appeals explained that this kind of writ is an extraordinary remedy, and that the appellate court has discretion over whether to even consider such a petition. When the lower court's decision was itself a matter of discretion — as discovery decisions typically are — the person seeking the writ carries a heavy burden. After reviewing the petition and the documents before it, the court concluded that Stojack had not shown that extraordinary intervention was warranted, and it denied the petition. The court also noted the general policy against considering writ petitions that challenge discovery decisions. The order does not discuss the underlying facts of the family case or the merits of the records request in any detail.