While children may have input as to where they will live and the parenting plan, as a minor they cannot be the end-all-be-all to the case. Judges will still have to consider all of the child’s circumstances which affect a custody decision. Judges do this to ensure that their decision is in the best interest of the child and not just what the child may want.  Judges are opposed to children being forced, or encouraged, to decide between their parents. For example, one parent may constantly bad mouth their co- parent to the child and attempt to brainwash them into not wanting to see or be around the likely more responsible and positive parental influence.  Sometimes, a parent becomes the “fun” or gift-giving parent in order to influence the child’s wishes.  When there is credible evidence of such conduct, the judge cannot rely on the preferences of the minor as the primary basis for the judge’s determination. In some cases, the judge may not want to involve the child in the custody decision at all to avoid making the child choose between the two parents and possibly causing childhood trauma.  This is particularly true when the parents are involved in a very contentious and aggressive divorce. By the time, the child is in their middle- to late-teens, (over age 14) the courts give great weight to the child’s decisions.