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View Full Version : When can a child decied they don't want to visit their father


TrishAC2
Aug 13, 2010, 07:41 PM
At what age can I as a mother not force my daughters to go see their father

TrishAC2
Aug 13, 2010, 07:42 PM
My daughters are 5 and 7 and they don't want to visit their father. I was wondering if there was an age where he can force them to go.

Fr_Chuck
Aug 13, 2010, 07:49 PM
AT 18 when the child visitation order runs out.
And of course the non custodial parent needs to be careful not to talking against the visits since that could be used against them in court.

What are the issues, distanct, not enough visit time ?

ScottGem
Aug 13, 2010, 07:51 PM
Why don't they want to visit? If he has visitation you are required to have the children ready for his visit. But he can't force them to come with him.

Fr_Chuck
Aug 13, 2010, 08:13 PM
If the mother does not "make" them go, or take them, he can take the mother back to court for contempt. So the mom either has to go back to court and prove there is a serious reason they are not to go, or she had better be helping make this a positive visit since she has to help force them to go.

ScottGem
Aug 14, 2010, 04:39 AM
I'm going to expand on my original answer. This is hard one. First, I doubt that this has been codified anyplace. I did a brief search and found nothing that said; at such and such an age a child can decide not to visit the NCP.

As far as I know of the law, the custodial parent MUST make the children available at the specific time and place of a visit or be subject to a contempt of court citation. However, and here's where it gets sticky, the NCP can't physically force the children to go with him. If he tries dragging them into his car, for example, and they are kicking and screaming that they don't want to go, that can be considered abuse.

To help further we need understand why they don't want to go. At 5 and 7 they are very young to not want to be with dad. If the custodial parent is influencing the children and turning them against their father that is very wrong and can result in trouble for the custodial parent.