Best Interest

• Courts make determinations based on what they feel is in the child's "best interest." They strive to ensure the child is happy, secure and emotionally healthy. Courts want children to maintain a close relationship with both parents, but that is not always the practical choice.
  
  

Primary Caretaker

• Psychologists stress the importance of the bond between the child and the primary caretaker. Courts see this emotional bond as an important factor in a child's psychological health and may hesitate to break this bond for fear of disrupting the child's developmental stability.
  
  

Child Preference

• Whether a child's preference has weight in custody decisions depends on the age and the soundness of the child's reasons. If the child's reasoning relates to what the court deems to be in the child's best interest, the court will likely honor the child's preference.