Should Children of Divorce Be Forced to Live with a Particular Parent Essay Example for Free

Should Children of Divorce Be Forced to Live with a Particular Parent Essay Many children are victims of divorce in the United States each year. The judicial system believes that, in each case, the child or children that are subjected to divorce should reside where the child(ren) would â€Å"be better off†, citing that living with one parent who provides a more stable atmosphere for the child(ren) would be more beneficial. Others believe that children who are subjected to divorce should be able to choose which parent they wish to live with. Many also wonder with divorces involving multiple children: Should we keep them together? Many judges believe that a child’s voice or preference should not be heard because a child is too young to know what is best for him or her. In most states, the average age is 12 to 14 years for a child to verbally state their opinion on which parent they choose to live with; even then, the judge will not rely on that child’s opinion alone. A judge believes that a child’s preference is only one of many factors in determining which parent receives custody of the child. A judge considers which parent can provide a more stable home or atmosphere, and he or she may also consider which parent is able to earn more income. I agree with many parents that believe their child(ren) have a voice that should be heard. Forty percent of children growing up in America today are being raised without their fathers. My parents divorced in 1986, when I was 6 years old. I didn’t fully understand what was happening at the time, but I also wasn’t able to choose which parent I wanted to live with. My brother and I were made to live with our mom, while our dad had visitation rights every other weekend until he moved to Ohio from West Virginia in 1989. My mom had started experimenting with drugs and illegal narcotics, even sometimes doing them right in front of me. I was extremely unhappy living with her, even though I still loved her. I went to visit with my dad in the summer of 1990, where he had asked me to live with him permanently. I didn’t want to have to choose between my parents because I loved them both very uch equally, but I knew that I would be better off if I lived with my dad. The judge in the case was ready to throw my dad in jail, feeling that he had coerced me into wanting to live with him. Once I demonstrated I had knowledge of the impact of my long-term future, the judge then willingly agreed to let me live with my dad. I spent half of my early life living with my mom, and the other half living with my dad. Most children of divorce are not able to voice their opinion as to who they can live with until they reach a certain age. Instead of legislating law in terms of age, our judicial system should allow children of divorce to speak to a counselor or psychiatrist to voice their opinion, and if they can demonstrate why they would be better off living with the parent of choice, they should be allowed to voice their opinion to a judge. Divorce is sometimes unavoidable, but we should all work together to determine what our children want and who they want to live with. We shouldn’t neglect their opinions just because they are not of a certain age as long as they can show that they know what is right and what is wrong.