At what age will a judge listen to a child?
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At what age will a judge listen to a child?
If children are old enough—usually, older than 12 or so—a judge may talk to them to find out their preferences about custody and visitation. Some states require courts to consider kids' views, but others disapprove of bringing the kids into it at all.
What age can a child testify in a custody case?
14 years oldIf a child is at least 14, he or she will always be allowed to state a custodial preference. A child younger than 14 years old will be allowed to testify about his or her custodial preference unless the court decides it's not in the child's best interest to do so.
What do judges look for in child custody cases?
Judges must decide custody based on “the best interests of the child." The “best interests of the child” law requires courts to focus on the child's needs and not the parent's needs. The law requires courts to give custody to the parent who can meet the child's needs best .
At what age can a child decide which parent to live with in Wyoming?
Judges don't require a child to be a specific age to listen to their custodial preference; each judge determines each child's maturity on a case-by-case basis. At least one Wyoming court has said, however, that a seven year-old child is too young to have a meaningful custodial preference.
