Does California Family Law Court Allow Children Over The Age Of 14 To Choose A Parent? from Jos Family Law's blog

If your child is close to or above the age of 14 & you are considering asking for full custody, make sure you have thoroughly researched your state's child custody rules. Children over the age of 14 will be free to choose which parent they want to live with in several states. This is, of course, assuming there is no proof of child abuse by the child's preferred parent.

While many parents believe their child/children should be able to make their own decisions about what is best for them, not every court agrees. In California, for example, child custody rules say that a kid over the age of 14 can choose which parent he/she prefers to live with, provided the courts find the parent to be fit and in the best interest of the child.

While the court will allow a child to choose which parent he/she would rather reside with, the court will typically award parenting time to the parent the child does not live with. In this case, a parenting plan will be required. The custodial parent will have the right to make all decisions regarding emergencies, medical treatment, as well as all ordinary, day-to-day decisions.

The non-custodial parent will still be given access to all of the child's records and will be allowed to participate in decisions regarding religion and education. In other states, the child custody laws vary but almost always have some sort of clause for children over the age of 14.

For more in-depth information regarding child custody laws in your state, you may want to visit your state's official website and look at their various statutes concerning divorce and child custody. You can also contact an accomplished child custody attorney for a free initial consultation.

Our goal at Jos Family Law is to assist clients with family law issues that affect the essential areas of their life. Mr. Binoye Jos, an experienced family law attorney, can assist you with divorce, child custody, & other family law matters. Contact Mr. Binoye Jos, the finest Anaheim Divorce Attorney, at 1-714-733-7066 for assistance.