At what age can a child decide which parent to live with?

In Hillsborough County and most counties in Florida, children are not allowed to go into the courtroom to give testimony or to provide the court with any preferences, unless the court will specifically allow that testimony by the child.  It is in rare cases that the court will actually come in and allow the child to testify in court and even then sometimes it is in the judge’s chamber that the child gives testimony.  This largely depends on the age of the child.   There is no magical age such as 12 or 13 in which a child can choose which parent to live with.  Although this is the case, the older and more mature the child is the more likely their preference will be taken into consideration.  The preference may be persuasive, but it is not the only factor involved in determining child custody and visitation rights. Contact All Family Law Group, P.A. by email or call us at 813-672-1900 to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys or for more information.