What is the age a child can choose custody in Virginia?

Answer 1

Virginia law has no provision for a child to make a decision about which parent to live and visit with at any age.

Once custody has been determined by a court it would take another court order to change that arrangement. The court may listen to a child's request to change custody but it is under no obligation to modify the custody order at the child's request. The court would be looking for an appropriate reason to order a change in custody such as the custodial parent being unfit and the change being in the best interest of the child.

A child is free to decide which parent to live with in every state once they have reached eighteen years of age.

Answer 2

There is no age limit to it they tell the judge who they want to live with and the judge decides if its valid or not if its safe for the child in that enviorment with that parent the judge will rule in the parents favor but the un ruled parent gets visitation rights unless the father/mother does not permit it...hope that helps =]

Answer 3

Usually the visitation agreement changes as the child reaches the teen years and has ongoing activities. Even the best most reasonable teenager may have limitations and it may be best to visit their area of residence. Still, that gave me problems since they weren't always reliable about fulfilling the pre-made arrangements and the other parent was not concerned enough to follow up.

Answer

The "legal age" at which a child can make their own decisions about visitations is eighteen years old in most jurisdictions. As long as there is a visitation order in place the child cannot decide whether to go or not to go. In order to avoid conflict with older children the parents may need to compromise at times. However, the child can never make the decisions. Court orders rule.

Answer 4

18.

However the child is always free to make their wishes known to the judge, either in court when custody/visitation is being decided or request a modification to the original visitation order by requesting a meeting with the judge, writing a letter to the judge expressing their wishes, or engaging an attorney or guardian ad litem to speak for them. The judge will take into consideration the wishes of the child, and generally, the older the child, the more weight is given to those wishes.

Ultimately, however, the judge will rule depending on what he or she feels would be in the best interests of the child.

Answer 5

I'm afraid minors are not allowed to choose whether to visit or not if there's a court order.

Answer 6

A minor can only express his opinion if the judge allows it, but the judge is in no way obligated to follow it so you have to be 18 to decide.

Answer 7

Majority. (Basically, 18). Below that age, a court may take the child's wishes into account, but is not necessarily bound by them.