--You have hit on a central, highly debated anxiety surrounding the sweeping changes made to New Jersey's child custody statute (N.J.S.A. 9:2-4) under Senate Bill S4510. --
-- Signed into law, the statute places a much heavier emphasis on a child’s preference and requires judges to justify their reasoning on the record if they rule against a mature child's wishes-- --Family law experts share your concern: expecting family court judges to spot sophisticated parental alienation, brainwashing, or coercion on their own is a massive gamble, especially when dealing with homeschooled children who lack outside mandates or third-party mandating reporters (like teachers or school counselors) to serve as a reality check.--