J
JTEXAS
Guest
I live in Texas. The family I am referring to also lives in Texas. Two of my friends are grandparents of a 12 year old boy who they are raising. Their Daughter (M0ther 0f the boy) died in 1996. In 1991 the Father of the child divorced the Mother and did not try to see the boy for several years. When the Mother died the Father started giving the Grandparents lots of problems. He took them to court to try to get custody; however, the Father has some mental problems and is not capable of caring for any child. The Grandparents have been made conservators of the child and the Father possessory conservator.
The Father has visitation rights twice a month. At firsr, he could take the boy with him anywhere in our county. During that time the boy became very depressed and did not want to go with him. He would cry and ask the Grandparents why he had to go and this was very hard for them because there waS SOME suspected sexual abuse. The child was taken to a Doctor and had to be put on tranquilzers and is still on them. At this point, the Father has to go to their home to visit him; however the boy does not want to see him and tells him to leave everytime he visits but the Father refuses to leave and upsets the boy and the grandparents as they have no control what the courts say.
My question is --what rights does the child have? Does he have the legal right to stop visitations himself. Is he considered old enough to make the decision himself? His Father is not paying child support but the court seems to believe he should see his Son despite the harm he is causing the child. There is a lot more to this story but it all cannot be detailed here. The advice will be greatly appreciated.
The Father has visitation rights twice a month. At firsr, he could take the boy with him anywhere in our county. During that time the boy became very depressed and did not want to go with him. He would cry and ask the Grandparents why he had to go and this was very hard for them because there waS SOME suspected sexual abuse. The child was taken to a Doctor and had to be put on tranquilzers and is still on them. At this point, the Father has to go to their home to visit him; however the boy does not want to see him and tells him to leave everytime he visits but the Father refuses to leave and upsets the boy and the grandparents as they have no control what the courts say.
My question is --what rights does the child have? Does he have the legal right to stop visitations himself. Is he considered old enough to make the decision himself? His Father is not paying child support but the court seems to believe he should see his Son despite the harm he is causing the child. There is a lot more to this story but it all cannot be detailed here. The advice will be greatly appreciated.