Childs wants

[Fouristhebestnumber]

Hello,

Can any legal eagles tell me how old a child needs to be before their wishes are heard in court?

I think it was 9 when we went through all this years ago.

Depends on the individual child really. I thought 11... Was roughly that when we went through family courts

Gilliam competent or something

*gillick!!!

If we are talking about contact the wishes of the children will always be taken into account, usually via a CAFCASS report. The weight attached to the child's views will depend on their age and understanding. There is no fixed age at which the child's views are decisive.

Gillick competence is completely different, dealing with a child's ability to make reaoned decisions for itself ( in the Gillick case, taking contraception).