Legal Question in Family Law in Washington

Re: Third Party Custody suit

Although the statute provides for a child and a judge to talk, in actual practice it is very rare.

What happens is that a Guardian ad Litem or a parenting investigator is appointed to talk to the child, talk to the adults and the collateral contacts such as the child's schoolteachers and/or social contacts. The guardian ad litem is tasked with reporting back to the Court what the other adults related to him or her.

Putting the burden on the child is considered psychologically damaging. Children love both their parents, no matter how unfit they could be. Children derive their identities from their primary attachments and being forced to disclose to a stranger which parent they 'prefer', usually based on what somebody is telling them to say, is considered very bad for them.

Hope that answers your question. Elizabeth Powell