In Missouri, a child does not have the final say in choosing which parent to live with after a divorce. However, the court may consider the child’s preference, especially as they get older. Missouri does not set a specific age for this, but the more mature the child, the more the court will listen to their opinion.
How Much Does a Child’s Preference Matter?
The court looks at many factors when deciding custody, and a child’s choice is just one of them. Judges also consider the child’s maturity, reasons for their preference, and whether a parent may be influencing the child. The main goal is to do what’s best for the child’s well-being, even if that does not match the child’s choice.
Seek Legal Help for Custody Issues
If you are dealing with a custody case in Missouri, Kranitz, Sadoun & Carpenter, PC can help. Our experienced attorneys can guide you through the process and make sure your child’s best interests are protected. Contact us today for a consultation.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺.