Can the judge talk to my child in my Texas custody case? How are my kids involved in our custody case?
If you find yourself in a custody battle for your kids, you may be asking yourself these questions:
Will I know what my child told the judge?
Can my child request to speak to the judge?
These are commons questions this article will try to answer.
In a disputed child custody case in Texas, a judge can choose to interview the child. The general rule when interviewing a child in a custody case, attorneys for both parties can be in attendance, but they cannot interrogate the child/children without permission from the court. If requested, the proceedings in the champers can be recorded.
What are the interviews for?
Generally these interviews are conducted so that the judge can get understanding of the childs perspective, and make a more informed decision regarding custody.
In some cases, with older children, they may have wishes of their own as too who they would like to reside with, which in this case, would make great sense to interview the child.
Is the meeting confidential?
Just because an interview is held privately, doesn't mean that it will remain that way. Parties in a custody hearing are entitled to know the evidence the court relies on to make it's decision. Which means, the privately held interview, will be shared with both parties.
While every case is different, it's important to remember that your counsel or attorneys will be with you every step of the way. They can help explain the best options for you and your kids. You don't have to walk this path alone, and you don't have to wonder what is up next for your kids. You just need to make sure you pick an experienced family law attorney that can fight for all of you.
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