When the two parents of a child have different faiths there can be a huge feud regarding which religion the child should follow. This has become a real problem considering the increased number of interfaith marriages and divorce rates. Child Custody Attorneys Silverdale WA can help sort through the mess in order to establish your parental rights as well as the best interest of the child.
Resolving a dispute about a child’s religion among divorced problems can be a huge battle. This is because there is a fine line between respecting both parents’ rights to the child and to their religion. According to the First Amendment a parent has the right to exercise whatever faith they choose. If a parent has legal custody or sole custody they would also have the right to raise the child as they see fit. The problem emerges when there is a joint legal custody agreement and the parents practice different religions.
Naturally, both parents are going to argue that it is not in the best interest of the child to practice the other religion. Even for experienced Child Custody Attorneys Silverdale WA this can be a difficult case to sort through when you are trying to protect parental and religious rights. Depending on the age of the child, the easiest approach is to take their wishes into account. Some judges believe the child should be able to speak for themselves and state what religion they wish to practice. Typically, if a child is over the age of 12 the court will consider their opinion on issues regarding religion as well as custody and visitations.
There have not been any recorded cases that have ruled one parent’s religion to be the right choice for a child without the child saying that is the direction they want to go. In most cases, the court rules in favors of both parents. In general, there is no harm in a child practicing both religions. Eventually the child is going to lean more towards one religion and it will be a decision that the child made on their own instead of under the influence of their parents.
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