can i move out if ill be 18 in 20 days?

[sessa]

I know, everyone is going to say "Why can you not just wait for 20 days, then you will be 18 and move with no complications - well i'm sorry but No. My father is an abusive drunk and my mother is in a terrible drug addiction. I have called the police before about 6 months ago, and they did nothing but take me back to my house. my question is -""If i will be 18 in TWENTY DAYS can i move out without the police forcing me back home.""


...please help. I can not handle it anymore.

[ccsmod0]

Re: can i move out if ill be 18 in 20 days?

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out this morning and sharing a bit of what is going on. It sounds like you’re dealing with so much with your parents. It’s got to be an exhausting place to live. It’s understandable that you’re thinking about leaving and it’s smart that you’re looking into resources and potential legal consequences. So let’s see how we can help you out.

We aren’t legal experts here, but we are able to speak generally as to what might happen. In general, if you are under 18, no matter how close, if you leave home without your guardian’s permission, then your guardian has the right to file a runaway report with the police. If the police take the report, then they could make you go back home (like before) all the way until you are 18. At 18, you gain the right to live wherever you want.

Now, since you are so close to 18, the police may not take the report and even if they did take the report, they might not make you go back home. It depends on a lot. Usually the police are focused on finding and bringing home people that are much younger than you, but the police could still make you go back. It’s not illegal for you to leave home, if you aren’t on probation or parole. But you could be forced back home.

We hope that this helps clarify some stuff for you. If you have more questions or want to look up places where you might be able to stay that is near to you, please feel free to call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929). If you aren’t able to call, you can chat with us through our website (www.1800runaway.org) from 4.30pm-11.30pm Central Time.

We look forward to your call or chat.

Best of luck to you,

NRS