Does a teenage son have any say custody battle.HELP!

[ineedadvice]

Hello, I was wondering if a 14 year old teenage son has any say in the custody battle of a divorce in Michigan.
What can the child do to help a parent win custody, of course being truthful.

---more info if it helps---
basically my dad says he has alot of thing to put against my mom, so he could get full custody.
and my mom does too, but my dad claims she lied about those things and she has no proof, and supposedly my dad told me he plans on telling his lawyers some truths and some lies about my mom, so he could get full custody, he says he has proof and is using witnesses to back him up. Plus since my dad was always the one that made the most money and supported the family, and he says that my mom "abandoned" when she left my dad (i am currently living with my dad but i have told my mom i want to live with her) IN CONCLUSION---
--- I do not want to live with my dad i want to live with my mom, i am scared my dad will win the custody battle and he even says he will win "husband support".? I dont know how good his lawyers are against my moms, but i was wondering what can i do TO HELP my MOM

 

[army judge]

Hello, I was wondering if a 14 year old teenage son has any say in the custody battle of a divorce in Michigan.
What can the child do to help a parent win custody, of course being truthful.

---more info if it helps---
basically my dad says he has alot of thing to put against my mom, so he could get full custody.
and my mom does too, but my dad claims she lied about those things and she has no proof, and supposedly my dad told me he plans on telling his lawyers some truths and some lies about my mom, so he could get full custody, he says he has proof and is using witnesses to back him up. Plus since my dad was always the one that made the most money and supported the family, and he says that my mom "abandoned" when she left my dad (i am currently living with my dad but i have told my mom i want to live with her) IN CONCLUSION---
--- I do not want to live with my dad i want to live with my mom, i am scared my dad will win the custody battle and he even says he will win "husband support".? I dont know how good his lawyers are against my moms, but i was wondering what can i do TO HELP my MOM

Son, you need to stay out of this divorce battle.
You don't want to choose sides.

There is no statutory age in Michigan that allows a child to speak in divorce/custody matters. Under Michigan's laws, a child can sometimes have input. The older a child is, the more input that child could have. Many courts have held that they are not going to let a child make the final decision. In essence, judges seem to feel that "the tail is not going to be allowed to wag the dog". So, tread carefully, and do so with the assistance of the lawyers. In your case, I suppose it will be mom's attorney's that seek permission to allow you to speak.

Now, you're wondering, why can't I speak? Well, that is because under our laws, you are a legal incompetent. That means, you have no standing before our courts. So, you do not have an inherent right to be heard. If you are heard, it is at the court's pleasure.

 

[ineedadvice]

now need to talk to some therapist not lawyers... :\

 

[BayState]

Hello, I was wondering if a 14 year old teenage son has any say in the custody battle of a divorce in Michigan.
What can the child do to help a parent win custody, of course being truthful.

---more info if it helps---
basically my dad says he has alot of thing to put against my mom, so he could get full custody.
and my mom does too, but my dad claims she lied about those things and she has no proof, and supposedly my dad told me he plans on telling his lawyers some truths and some lies about my mom, so he could get full custody, he says he has proof and is using witnesses to back him up. Plus since my dad was always the one that made the most money and supported the family, and he says that my mom "abandoned" when she left my dad (i am currently living with my dad but i have told my mom i want to live with her) IN CONCLUSION---
--- I do not want to live with my dad i want to live with my mom, i am scared my dad will win the custody battle and he even says he will win "husband support".? I dont know how good his lawyers are against my moms, but i was wondering what can i do TO HELP my MOM

Neither of your parents should be discussing this with you. Neither of your parents should be involving you in this. I am sorry that they are both trying to "enlist" you in THEIR divorce.