Legal Question in Family Law in Maryland
a child's right
when is it legal for a child to refuse to stop visiting his/her absent parent
Asked on 3/01/07, 11:50 am
1 Answer from Attorneys
Robert Sher
Wagshal and Sher
Re: a child's right
There is no "magic age", below 18, when the child legally becomes an adult. As the custodial parent, it's your duty to not stand in the way of visitation, or give the other parent grounds for claiming that you are interfering with his/her visitation rights. If your child refuses to go without your encouragement, all you can do is try and let the child and the other parent work it out, and if he/she goes to court, perhaps you'd seek modification of the visitation order. A judge will usually listen to a teenager's wishes before ruling.
Answered on 3/01/07, 12:04 pm