Q: My granddaughters by court order have to spend there summers in California with there father. Can they refuse?
They have been going to California for about seven years now. They are 17 and 13 years old and don't want to spend the whole summer there. Is there anything we can do to help them?
A:
It really depends on the facts of the case and how parenting time could be restructured. It is very possible that ending summered in California would reduce parenting time enough that the court would consider it a modification of custody, which would likely necessitate showing endangerment.
That said, at age 17, the child’s wishes carry a fair amount of weight (not so much for the 13-year-old). It may be possible to at least reduce the time in CA, but would depend on the specifics and whether the court can be convinced that doing so would be in the children’s best interests.
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