Visalia, CA asked in Child Custody, Child Support and Civil Rights for California

Q: I’m a 14 year old boy. Can I chose which parent I want to be with mainly?

Personally I would like to be with my mom and Dad half on and half off (week with one parent, week with another) and that is the set arrangement my parents have. The thing about that is when I was around 11 years old I made the choice to stay full time with my dad. My parents never went to court to talk about custody after I made that decision. I wish to go back to the custody rule of me being shared between both parents of mine. Now I am wanting to spend more time with my mother and my father is not letting me do so. If I tried to ask him if I could go to my mothers for a week or even for a weekend, he gets angered and tells me if I want to go visit my mom for a week i cannot come back to live with him. This scares me from going to live half on half off with my mom or even visit with her for more then a day or two. I am unsure what to do or how to resolve this issue in fear that my father will be mad at me or disappointed in my choice. Please leave some advice you guys reccomend.

1 Lawyer Answer
Louis George Fazzi
Louis George Fazzi
Answered
  • Civil Rights Lawyer
  • Jess Ranch, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: You are 14 years old. You have no such rights. As a minor, you need to comply with your parents wishes. If your custody is an issue, that will be decided by a family law court judge. The best I could advise you is to try and get both of your parents together with someone else they both trust and listen to, and then explain to them both how you are feeling and what you would like to do. Don’t worry whether or not your dad gets upset with you, because in the end he loves you and I am sure he would want what’s best for you.

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