Can a 13 year old child decide which parent to live with?

Can a 13 year old child decide which parent to live with?

Court Orders Once a child reaches the age of 16, he/she is legally allowed to choose which parent to live with. The only reason this wouldn’t apply is if there’s a Court Order stating that a child must remain with a certain parent until a certain time.

Can a teenager choose which parent to live with?

There is no ‘Magic Age’ There is no fixed age when a child can decide on where they should live in a parenting dispute. Instead their wishes are one of many factors a court will consider in reaching a decision.

Can a 15 year old decide where they want to live?

How old does a child have to be to decide where and with which parent they want to live? As the child gets older, his or her wishes carry more weight. By 15 or 16 if the child is of general maturity and has logical reasons for changing the custody, the court will often abide by the child’s wishes.

What do I do if my child wants to live with the non custodial parent?

If there is no custody order in place, then the child can live with the non-custodial parent without having to involve the court. If there is a custody order in place, that order would need to be modified. In some states, custody may be modified at any time.

How old does a child have to be to choose who he lives with?

When a child reaches the age of 16 they are legally able to decide where they wish to live unless there is a residence order or child arrangements order specifying living arrangements which lasts until a young person is 18.