No, the family court Judge assigned to your case will make the custody determination unless you and the other parent can agree on a custody schedule. It is not fair to your child to put her in the position of having to choose between living with Mommy or Daddy. Often times a child will tell both parents that he or she wants to be with them on order to protect that parent’s feelings. Your daughter may also prefer living with one parent over another because that parent is less strict, or gives her a later curfew. If you and the other parent would like your daughter to have input, a better approach would be to participate in family therapy assist in forming a custody schedule that would best promote your daughter’s well being. Most parents won’t let their 15 year old daughter set her own curfew, much less make decisions of this magnitude.
Eric C. Trosch
Board Certified Specialist in Family Law