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There is clearly a misunderstanding about children choosing who they want to live with. In Texas, children do not get to choose who they want to live with. Section 153.009 of the Texas Family Code does allow for children to have a voice on the subject. The law allows for a party to request for the judge to confer with a child. Once a request is made for a judge to confer with a child, the judge must talk with children 12 years of age and older and may talk with children under the age of 12. Therefore, the law allows for children to state their preference, it does not allow them to choose.
In Texas, children who are at least 12 years of age can have a say in where they will live, but a judge does not have to follow the childâs wishes. It is absolutely wrong to assume or tell a child that they get to decide where he or she will live once they turn 12 years old. Once your child turns 18 and is a legal adult, then a custody order does not apply and they can decide where to live. The closer your child gets to age 18, the more he or she has a say.