Although the court must consider the custody preferences of a child who is at least 12 years old, the court does not necessarily need to follow the child's preferences. (info.legalzoom.com)
The court must consider the reasonable preferences of children over the age of 12. (info.legalzoom.com)
The court will look at a variety of factors, such as discord between the parents regarding visitation, history of domestic violence, prevalence of substance abuse, stability of the home environment, preference of the child if age appropriate, changes to the child's medical or educational needs, fitness of the parents, and parents» employment responsibilities. (info.legalzoom.com)