There are many factors that go into a judge’s decision for how parents will share child custody. In cases involving older children, the judge must at least take into consideration the child’s own wishes for custody. Ultimately, however, the child’s wishes are not the only determining factor.
Why is it that judges will not just automatically accept what a kid wants out of the custody arrangement, especially if the child is a teenager nearing adulthood? Here are just a few reasons:
- Parents may attempt to sway the child’s desires by promising them certain benefits the other parent cannot or will not offer.
- It puts the child into a potentially psychologically damaging role, as they might feel as though they need to choose to live with the parent they see as needing them more. Children should never be put into scenarios where they feel as though they need to take care of their parents.
- Children might simply choose to live with the parent who has more money rather than the parent more fit for taking care of them.
- Children might have unrealistic expectations for what life with one parent would be like.
Ultimately, it is left up to the judge to analyze each custody scenario and determine what is in the child’s best interests. For more decision about this decision making process, contact an experienced Minnesota child custody attorney with Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A.
