At What Age Can A Child In Your Care Choose To Live With The Other Parent?

[laptopsteve]

at what age can a child in your care choose to live with the other parent
she is 13 yrears old and it is a loving home and she stayed with her dad for a week and now decided out of the blue that she is staying there and the ex is just letting he do her own thing which dont help matters
we have always had a close relationship with no problems

[RATTER15]

Who has custody? if you both agree with this arrangement then no problem, if it went to court and she wanted to live with her father it would most likely go that way, child has a big say in the outcome.

[Milvus]

It seems to me that the blood parents are doing the right thing by allowing her to move between them without any trouble.
What relation are you?

[ummmm]

The police or social services would not remove a child of 13 as long as she's in a safe environment.

She'll soon find out that the grass isn't greener.

[laptopsteve]

we are still in the process of divorce but since he left four years ago and she has been living with me so no custody through court has been decided as yet,
but the fact that she has been living with me for them last four years and she is settled at school was a concious decition between us as parents that we were both happy to agree on

[murraymints]

depends on who has custody...if you do then you could insist she came back....but she could pursue her own action via court....could become very bad between you.....I agree after a bit she'll be back......

[mrs_overall]

If it goes to court, the age at which a child can make his/her own decision as to where he/she lives is 9 years of age

[ummmm]

Murray - she won't be able to 'insist' unless the child is in danger. A 13 year old is considered to have their own minds.

[Smowball]

Do you and you ex live near each other, or would the child have to
go to a different school if she stayed at her dads?

[murraymints]

ummm if mum had sole custody then she could insist until such time as the child made formal application.....in this case no custody order is in place..so best to sort things out between them...

[mrs_overall]

At the age of 13 I guess you are in for a few rounds of playing one parent off against the other and "the grass is green" syndrome

[woofgang]

I am not actually sure what the problem is? both parents are happy and the child is happy?

[murraymints]

agree Mrs o ...after a bit I suspect she'll come back to mum....how are you Mrs o ?..feeling better I hope....

[mrs_overall]

Thanks for asking murray - I am getting there xx

[ladybirder]

Depends if she's going to be changing school every 5 minutes, because that won't benefit anybody, least of all the child.

[ummmm]

It doesn't matter who has custody. The police or SS will not remove a 13 year old that is not in any danger.

[RATTER15]

I agree ummmm ^^^^

[ladybirder]

Are you a male mum laptopsteve?

[murraymints]

if custody has been awarded by court she could....speaking with personal experience....

[ummmm]

He hasn't been awarded custody.

No one will be awarded custody of a 13 year old.

[laptopsteve]

Lol ladybirder I am indeed male and I am looking for answers for my partner who is very upset by it all she loves her daughter very much and is always telling her this but the ex is influencing her to to what she wants as teenagers often do
By the way thank you all for for some great answers xx