If your daughter's father hasn't seen her in seven years does he still have visitation rights?

Answer 1

Seven-year-olds do not make decisions as to custody, that is the responsibility of the judge. A child of that age might be asked his opinion, especially if he has been reluctant in the past to visit his father (to rule out child abuse, etc.) but it is more likely the judge will be able to make a decision without his help.

If the father has court ordered visitation then you have to comply with that. If you do not, then Mom can be held in contempt of court. If there is a legitimate reason why the child does not want to go, then you need to petition the court to change the visitation order. Be aware that courts do not like to deny parents the right to visit/bond/maintain a relationship with their children and will not do so without a VERY, VERY compelling reason.

• According to various law websites, while a child may not be able to make the decision at age 7, his/her opinion is still valid and should be allowed to be heard in the courts. If your 7-year-old is saying he/she does not want to go and has a decent reason why then you chould file for modification of visitation and demand your child be able to speak.

Answer 2

There is a Statute of Limitations and you can find this out on www.Google.com Type in: "What is the Statute of Limitations regarding a parent not seeing their children?" If your child is old enough to understand then it should be the child's right to decide if they want to see that parent. The only reason for "leaving well enough alone" is if the father is an alcoholic, drug abuser, was a sexual abuser or mentally abusive. If he just cheated on you or you parted ways because you fell out of love then that's no reason to keep the father from the child. If you consider the above, then I would meet with the father of your daughter first to find out how long they plan on being part of that child's life. If they haven't changed or have an "attitude" then it's best to leave well enough alone. If this child is still fairly young you should start proceedings to get full custody should you feel the father could make further demands. Marcy

Answer 3

A 10 year old can not normally decide on her dad's visitation rights. If there is a serious problem, she should take it up with her mother, teacher, or social worker. Valid reasons exist why a judge would change visitation rights.