Have your kids spent time with you over the holidays? Are they asking to spend more time with you?
After school holidays some children tell the parent they predominantly live with that they want to live with their other parent. The children have spent a significant amount of time with their other parent and they’ve had lots of fun. After all, it’s the holidays. They’ve been taken to theme parks, to the movies, they haven’t had to go to school, or do homework. This parent hasn’t nagged them about being ready for school, making sure they’ve got their lunches or their homework.
In the child’s mind this is amazing. It’s fun. They get to go to the beach, go to the movies, they do not have to go to school, and they get to wear normal clothes all day. The children quickly forget this is the holidays: that they’re only doing this because school’s out.
When the children express this to their other parent and he or she then takes this as a sign that the kids would rather live with him or her
It’s after this period that the lawyers are called:
“I had my kid over for the holidays and she loved spending time with me. She asked why she couldn’t spend more time with me. What are my options?”
There is no cut and dry answer to this question. You see, with children—especially younger children—they’ve had so much fun over the holidays that they want that to continue. They associate that feeling of fun with the parent they spent the holidays with. This can make them associate the parent they live with as a mundane life and the other parent the fun life.
Often this can be a knee jerk reaction
It really does come down to whether or not you feel your child wants to live with you and not the other parent, for the right reasons. It comes down to the history of why your child lives with either parent. Essentially, why are the custody rights the way they are and is the child making a mature, considered wish or does your child simply want the fun to keep going?
How DA Family Lawyers can help
We are a boutique law firm in Brisbane that specialises in family law.
When you talk to our family law experts they can assess your circumstances and ascertain whether or not you indeed have a case. This is not to belittle the circumstances or imply that you’ve got no case however it is just important to keep in mind that the wishes of a young child today may be completely different two weeks from now. As they adjust back to going to school, back to being with their other parent, they may no longer wish for things to change.
That is one of the reasons it is important to ascertain whether or not your child is expressing the wish to change their living conditions because they think the holidays will continue, or because they genuinely want to change their living conditions.
If your child or children have recently voiced their opinion to spend more time with you or their other parent, we welcome you to talk with the expert team at DA Family Lawyers in Brisbane, our compassionate team of family lawyers will assist you in reaching the best decision for your child.