Are the children’s wishes considered by the court in a custody dispute?
In many cases, the court will consider the children’s wishes if they believe that they are of an age to make an intelligent decision. The court will then interview the child in chambers. The court will then ask the child if they have a preference with regard to custody. This type of interview with the child is called an “in-camera interview.” The goal of this type of interview is to assist the court to determine what the child’s wishes are. In many cases, younger children are often influenced by the parent with whom they live with. Therefore, sometimes a young child’s answers may be skewed. Alternatively, older children are much less influenced by their parents. A court always takes into consideration the age of the child when it determines how much weight to place on the outcome of the interview.
In many cases the court will consider the children’s wishes if they believe that they are of an age to make an intelligent decision. The court will then interview the child in chambers. The court will then ask the child if they have a preference with regard to custody. This type of interview with the child is called an “in-camera interview.” The goal of this type of interview is to assist the court to determine what the child’s wishes are. In many cases younger children are often influenced by the parent with whom they live with. Therefore, sometimes a young child’s answers may be skewed. Alternatively, older children are much less influenced by their parents. A court always takes into consideration the age of the child when it determines how much weight to place on the outcome of the interview.
