At what age can kids pick which parent they want to live with?
At what age can kids pick which parent they want to live with?
14 or older
In California, your child will be heard at age 14 or older with regard to who he or she would prefer to live with.
Can a child decide who they want to live with?
Generally a child cannot decide which parent they want to live with. But as a child gets closer to the age of majority, which is 18 years old in Ontario, they have more say about where and with whom they live.
What should I know about child custody laws?
Remember, perception is everything. Read up on the child custody laws in your state so that you will know in advance what to expect. For instance, most of the time, each parent has an equal right to the custody of the children when they separate.
How old does a child have to be to get custody in a divorce?
According to some state’s divorce laws, your child will never have the exclusive ability to make that determination until he/she has reached the age of majority or emancipates. In common practice, however, the courts will allow children who have reached typically the age of 14 to select the parent with whom they wish to reside.
Can a judge make a decision on child custody?
The judge will have complete discretion in making the custodial determination, and the child’s desires will not be controlling. Judges typically do not favor the idea of a young child being forced, or even asked, to make a decision regarding their parents.
How does a judge decide on child custody?
The judge has broad discretion as to what to do with the child’s election. The judge will consider the child’s desires as a factor in determining custody, but the judge will also consider other factors to include the educational needs of the child, the parent’s ability to provide for the child, the environment the child may be exposed to, etc.
According to some state’s divorce laws, your child will never have the exclusive ability to make that determination until he/she has reached the age of majority or emancipates. In common practice, however, the courts will allow children who have reached typically the age of 14 to select the parent with whom they wish to reside.
What happens when parents can’t agree on custody?
A parent’s love for a child is always unconditional, but when two parents end their romantic relationship, and they can’t agree about who should have custody of their child, all bets are off. They’ll have to go to court and ask a judge to make an initial custody determination about who should have custody.
When can a child decide which parent he wants to live with?
A very common question in custody cases is, when can my child decide which parent he/she wants to live with? According to some state’s divorce laws, your child will never have the exclusive ability to make that determination until he/she has reached the age of majority or emancipates.