17 Year Old Wants To Leave Mother & Live With Father

[cnorthi]

I am seeking information about what rights my 17 year old daughter has in California.
She is having very strained relations with her mother and wants to move to Louisiana to be with her father. Any advice will help.

[Facekhan]

Well I am not sure specifically in california but I know that in many states and likely a liberal state like California, have laws requiring that family court judges take the wishes of teens over a certain age into consideration in custody battles. In maryland I am pretty sure it is 14 or over and is probably between 12 and 16 in most places. It is likely that at 17 her choice would be honored as long as the father is considered fit.

She may be able to initiate it herself or she may need her father to sue for custody in order to make that choice.