Q: At what does the child have the right to say what parent they want to live with. My daughter is 15.
She wants to stay with me and not her dad. The verbal agreement we had on child support he has stopped paying so i now have to go to court for that. No custody agreement other than what was wrote up in the divorce papers 10 years ago. Can he fight paying child support and what r the chances i will get primary custody if i go to court? I live in PA and he lives in NY. Her physical address is my address because she goes to school in the town i live in. I cannot afford a lawyer as i already work 2 jobs to make ends meet. Any information would be helpful.
A: Stability is an important factor for children. No lawyer, without knowing all the information about your case, will be able to answer if you will get primary physical custody in Court. If you cannot afford a lawyer, you may look into Legal Aid as it is still best to have an attorney assisting you. Many counties also have a discount program as well. You should at least consider having a consultation with a local attorney to give you a preliminary assessment of your case. Lastly, there is not a specific age when children can decide child custody, however, generally the older the child is, the more weight the Court attaches to the child's opinion.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
