Can I legally runaway to my dad's?

[Unregistered]

What do i do

I'm 16 and have always wanted to live with my father who lives far away. Especially since I have moves 14 times in my life. Whenever I try to discuss moving away with her she freaks out and makes a sob story about how her life has been. I've had and are still having suicidal thoughts. I've come close many times but am always able to overcome this. I've never hurt anyone over this and hope that I never will. If I run away to my dad I don't want him to get in any trouble for harboring a runaway. My dad have brought her to court many times and we have failed in or attempts. I have an older sister with a different dad than me and three younger siblings with a different father. My stepfather is a respectable and very good person. She has had children with three men and has screwed them all over and hit them up for lots of child support. I'm watching the same thing happen to my three little siblings that happened to me and I get in incontrollable rages over it. So please what am I supposed to do?

[ccsmod2]

re: What do i do

Hi,

Thanks for sharing your story. We are hearing that you feel your relationship with your mom has caused you to feel depressed and consider running away to your dad's place. We imagine how frustrating that must be for you. We are non directive here at NRS so it may be helpful to consider what other ways you could learn to cope with how you are feeling if you aren't able to run to your dad's like you want. Maybe find an outlet or hobby you can do to take your mind off of things. We are not legal experts but in general 18 is the age that a person can leave home without permission from your parent/guardians. Otherwise, your family can file a runaway report and there is potential for you to be made to go back. If you need help with think of other options or ways to stay safe you can contact us anytime via call or chat.

Sincerely,
NRS

[Unregistered]

Re: Can I legally runaway to my dad's?

I need some help, my parents are divorced and my mom is never there for me or my sister. I did some research about state laws and whatnot and found that if it is my mom's custody (her and my dad have a 50/50 custody) I am old enough to stay where I want, which is my dad's house, so long as he doesn't force me to be there, so does this mean I can legally run away from my irresponsible mom to my dad?

[ccsmod2]

Re: Can I legally runaway to my dad's?

Hi,

18 years old is generally the age that an individual may leave home without permission from their parent or legal guardian. We are not legal experts here but we can speak in general terms. If you are under 18 and leave home without permission, your parent/guardian may file a runaway report with the police. What actions the police take once you are filed as a runaway can vary a lot from state to state and even city to city so we cannot predict exactly what would happen in your case. Generally speaking, if you encounter a police officer while reported as a runaway, you will likely be returned home. However, in that case there may be services (family counseling, etc.) available to you as a youth in crisis/runaway but again, police procedures related to offering those services can be different based on your location or the details of your situation. Another thing to consider is that while running away is not a crime, a legal adult who allows you to stay with them may be putting themselves at risk for being charged with harboring a runaway. One way to find out the laws in your area is to call your local police and ask what their policies are regarding runaway youth.

NRS

[Guest]

If I live with my father can he call the cops if I have left with my monther. They are divorced and I want to move in with my mom. Is it possible that he can report me as a runaway or press charges on my mom ?

[ccsmod16]

Hello and thank you for contacting us at NRS!
Although we try to help everyone the best we can, we are limited to how much advice we can give. We are not legal experts so please do not take this as legal advice. It sounds like you are trying to move in with mother because you are having issues at home with your father. We commend you for speaking up. It isn’t an easy thing to do.
We are not sure what your custody status is. If both your parents have legal custody over you or visitation periods, then it might safe to go with your mom. However, if this is not the case, your father would be able to make a report and file charges against your mother. She may also be charged with harboring a run away.
We hope that has helped. Again, we are not legal experts, so please keep that in mind. Above all, we wish that you stay safe and should you have any more questions, please feel free to call us at our Safeline 1-800-RUNAWAY.
Know that you are not alone. Someone is always here to help. We wish you the best of luck!

[Guest]

If I runaway from my mom's house to my dad's house could I get in trouble and could my dad get in trouble? My parents have split custody of me but it's not set up through court. I need an answer immediately!!!!

[ccsmod4]

Reply: If I runaway from my mom's house to my dad's

Hello,
Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline .
Although we understand the urgency of the matter to which you are writing about we are not legal experts.
This means we cannot give you any legal advice about your situation.

If she decided to your mother could report you as a runaway with the police.

You might consider speaking with your father thus giving the two of you a chance to come up with a plan on what would be the best the option.
Perhaps he and your mother might work out some sort of arrangement.
Does that make sense?

If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon. Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

We hope that things work out for you.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

My cousins incle isnt supposed to be in the state but he is and my cousin wamts to go live with him can he sign him up for school ? Ot whould that bring him probleems he has his moms consent

[ccsmod4]

Reply: Can I legally runaway to my dad's?

Hello,
Thanks for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

We are not legal experts at NRS but we can support you by seeking options and legal referrals in your area.
If you would like to speak more about your situation contact us at 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) or www.1800Runaway.org (Live chat).

We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

I live with my mom and her bf, my dad and her are still legally married, I am 17, if I want to move to my dad's but my mom opposes to it, can I leave anyway.

[ccsmod15]

Hello,
Thank you for reaching out to NRS. It takes a great deal of courage to seek help when you need it. It is very good to see that you are evaluating your options. This reflects a great deal of maturity on your part.

You mentioned that you live with your mom and her boyfriend, but like to move with your dad. You also said your mom opposes to you moving with your dad. You want to know whether you can leave anyway. We are not legal experts here at NRS, but we do have the general information regarding leaving without parental permission/running away. To our limited knowledge, if you were to leave without your mom’s permission, she can file a runaway report. If she files this report, the police will look for you. If the police find you, they will eventually take you back home. We can offer you some options to help you determine your next move. One option would be to have a conference call with your mom. A conference call is basically a three way between our caller, the parent, and one of our liners. This may be helpful to open the lines of communication with your mom. We can be on the line with you while you talk to your mom about wanting to move with your dad. You would have to call our hotline for this option. Another option would be to contact your local police to ask them what the consequences for leaving without parental permission would be in your area. We are not legal experts, but we have heard that some local police departments may leave it to the discretion of their officers whether they take you home or not. We hope this information helps.

Again, thank you for reaching out to NRS. We are glad to see that you are sorting through your options. If you would like to talk further about your situation, please do not hesitate to call our hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY or start a live chat with us. We wish you the very best of luck and we hope that everything works out for you. We are here to listen, we are here to help.

[Guest]

My dad is awful to me and I hate him and I wanna run away and I know it's not illegal but my Mom lives in another state so would I be allowed to fly on a plane or even take a bus to get there legally?

[ccsmod7]

Hello there, thanks for reaching out.

Sorry to hear that your dad treats you poorly. You so deserve to live in a safe and loving environment. Here at NRS, we truly want to help.

As far as using buses or planes to travel to your mom, it would depend on your age and the bus carrier or airlines policy for traveling unaccompanied minors. If you were thinking about taking a bus or plane, you might visit their website to see how old you have to be to travel alone. Sometimes they need your guardian to sign a paper to let you travel alone.
If your mom has some custody rights over you, their might be actions she can take in court to take custody of you. If you call or chat us, we can provide you with legal aid resources if she needs legal assistance with that court process.

You mentioned that your dad is awful to you. If there is any abuse or neglect going on in your house, you do have the right to report it to child protective services. If they investigate and the home is found to be highly dangerous, you would be removed from your dad’s care. To learn more about what filing an abuse report might look like for you, you might try calling the expert child advocates at Child Help 1-800-422-4453.

Please do not hesitate to call or chat us if you would like to talk more about your situation, or need those resources. We are here to listen, here to help.

Stay safe,

NRS

[Guest]

I'm 16 years old, and for my whole life I've lived with my mom. I only got the chance to see my dad on weekends, holidays, and summer break. My mother and I don't have a good relationship; in fact I don't feel she's a mother. All she does in argue and want to fight (verbally). The other night we had a huge fight (verbally) which lead me to want to live at my dads. If I make the choice to live with my dad, can the police do anything about it? Please help!

[ccsmod3]

Hello and thanks for reaching out to us on our online forum. We are sorry to hear you and your mother don’t have a good relationship. Arguing/verbally fighting all the time sounds quit stressful and it makes sense you would be exploring other options. Please keep in mind we are not legal experts; however, it is possible the police would consider going from one parent to another a custody dispute rather than a runaway situation. In that case they might encourage your parents to work things out by returning to family court. If you decide to go to your dad’s and the current custody agreement has not been changed, it is possible he might get in trouble for violating the custody order. However, we cannot guarantee this and it might depend on how your mom reacts as well as how your local law enforcement acts to you leaving. We’re here if you’d like to continue talking about your situation and we encourage you to try out our Live Chat which is currently open. Best of luck!

[Guest]

I want to runaway to Augusta to live with my momma again I feel trapped my step mother n dad are both telling me they have their reason buts its irrevalent reason my step mother n dad not allowing me to visit or talk to my mom I want to legally runaway at 17 what to do n how to do it I'm 16 now ..6 months away from turning 17 please help asap
Ps...My dad have temporarily full custody of me till I'm 18 My mom have full custody of me since their divorce in 08 My mom told them that I can come home when I'm ready but they letting me go...

[ccsmod3]

Hello and thanks for reaching out to us on our forum. It sounds like things aren’t going so well with your dad and stepmother and you would rather live with your mom. We are sorry to hear you feel trapped and it’s understandable you would want to go back to your mom, particularly if she has full custody. We are not legal experts; however, it sounds like your situation might be more of a custody dispute rather than a runaway situation. If your dad is violating the current custody agreement by not letting you see your mom, one option would be for your parents to go back to court.

We’re available to talk to you in more detail about your situation and we hope you give our Live Chat a try when it opens today at 4:30pm CST. Good luck!

[Guest]

My uncles keeping me in Invercargill he said I carnt go home till my dad gets out of prison I'm 21 now and I think I'm old enough to know what I want to do, I can live with my sister but my uncle keeps on telling me that I carn't go any were until my dad gets out he's forcing me to live with him against my own will what do I do ? I feel like ringing the police but can they help with my situation

[ccsmod4]

Reply: My uncles keeping me

You are over 18 and in most states you are considered a legal adult which means that you can move out if you want to and you won’t be considered a runaway.
As a legal adult, you have a right to make your own decisions about where you live. If you are being held against your will you might consider contacting local law enforcement for assistance.

Having a plan for where you will live and how you will survive once you move out can be very helpful. Moving is a huge step, and you don’t have to be alone.
Some steps you can take towards independence might be to find employment if you don’t have an income, or to save up money for moving expenses.
It is also helpful to research rents in your area, find a roommate, or make a budget.
It does sound like you plan to move in with a relative.

Another thing you might want to consider is what kinds of things you depend on your uncle for currently such as tuition expenses for school, or health insurance, and whether he would continue to provide those things after you leave. We can help you make a plan for how to deal with your situation and help you find resources to land on your feet.
There may be social service agencies in your area that can help meet some of these needs, such as Transitional Living Programs, a kind of shelter where young adults can live and get services to help them transition to independent living.

We are here to listen and help however we can.
If you would like to speak more about your situation and to also explore some options please give NRS a call or live chat with us.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

We hope to hear from you soon.

Take care,
NRS