Can I move out at 17 into my other parent's house?

[Unregistered]

I am 16 now, I will be 17 this coming November. I would really like to move from my father's house in Dallas and move in with my mother in Arlington. I plan on going to college at UTA and it is very close to my mother's house. I make good grades in school now and have two jobs. If when I turn 17 I leave my father's house without consent and move to my mother's house can he make me come back, if I am in a stable house with a job, and I will continue to pursue my education? My mom and father have joint custody (joint managing conservativeship), however he has rights to override her in ways such as medical decisions and where I live.

[ccsmod1]

RE: Can I move out at 17 into my other parent's house?

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you are in a tough situation and you are hoping to move in with your mom without your father’s consent. It sounds like you are very responsible and are thinking about your future and what will be best for you when you start college. We are here to listen and support you in any way that we can. Since you are under the age of 18, if you leave home you could be considered a runaway. This means that your dad could call the police, who might force you to return home. Running away is not a crime, however anyone who allows you to stay with them could risk criminal charges for harboring a runaway. Since your parents have joint custody, that can make things complicated. We are not legal experts, but it sounds like part of the custody agreement is that your dad gets to decide where you live. If you move in with your mom without his consent, she could possibly get in trouble for violating the custody agreement, and your father could possibly press charges against her. In some cases, police will not force a runaway who is 17 to return home, which depends on the laws in your state. However, because of your parents’ custody agreement, we cannot predict how that could change your situation. One option could be to talk to your mom about getting a lawyer to go over her options to override your father. If you need to talk about your plans and your situation, you can always give us a call 24/7. We can help go over your options and make a plan. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

[Guest]

Can I move in with my dad if I’m 17 without my moms consent? My mom has full custody, but I hate it here. She doesn’t allow me to see or talk to him, but I do anyway. I think it’s not right that she does that. No parent should keep their children away from their other parent.

[ccsmod4]

Hello,
Thank you for writing to us here at the National Runaway Safeline.

We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We are not legal experts. You might consider talking with your father about the way you have been feeling and your thoughts about moving in with him. He may be able to shed more light on what his/your legal options are as far as any changes to the custody agreement that is in place. We understand you being upset about her not letting you have open communication with him. You are right with feeling the way you do about being restricted from speaking with him. The way you feel is important and they matter. NRS is here to listen and here to help.
We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please call or chat soon.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

Take care,
NRS

[ccsmod3]

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you are in a tough situation.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.If you need to talk about your plans and your situation, you can always give us a call 24/7. We can help go over your options and make a plan. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

[Guest]

Can I move in with my mom at 17? I live with my grandparents but it's not safe there I'm scared of them they hit me leaving scars, they've called me a whore, and threatening to slapping me and making my face black and blue. I've lived with my mom before because something happened to me but my grandmother took me back and it only got worse.

[ccsmod0]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on with your grandparents. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY.
If your grandparents have custody of you, they are considered your guardians/parents. While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.
If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS

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[Guest]

Im 17 years old. But if I’m being neglected in my home and emotional physically and mentally by my dad and I don’t feel safe with the people in the house and I want to leave with my mom and she says yes to bringing me in can I just pack my stuff and leave and don’t say anything to my dad or let him know I’m leaving.

[ccsmod0]

Hi there,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It sounds like you’re quite overwhelmed by things at home right now and you mentioned being harmed. We’re sorry you’re going through this. You don't deserve to be hurt in any way. If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately. You may also be able to report any mistreatment to CPS. Child Help USA 1-800-422-4453 www.childhelp.org is an organization that helps protect minors from being harmed. They can tell you more about how CPS could respond to your situation. If you ever need assistance calling out to CPS to make an abuse or neglect report please call is at 1-800-RUNAWAY.

While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. That is if your mom does not have custody of you. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.

Often, having a safe space to share how you’re feeling may bring a variety of solutions previously not thought of. You are not alone in this. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time.

If you would like to talk more in detail please chat soon through our website www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button) if you are unable to call in. We unfortunately cannot give advice as we are non-directive. You know your situation best

We hope to hear from you soon.

Be safe,

NRS

[Guest]

I’m a little younger than 15 and I want my father to have full custody of me. My mother has been remarried and has another kid with her new husband and I feel like I’ve been doing too much around the house and I get neglected about it afterwards. How do I quickly move into my father’s house? What do I do if I don’t want to see my mom anymore?

[ccsmod5]

Hi there,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that you are faced with right now and you’re feeling like leaving is one of your only options. We’re sorry you’re in this situation with your mom, if your dad has partial custody there may be some ways for you to live with him legally and be in the clear.
While we are not experts on the law, 18 is generally the age that an individual may leave home without parent permission. If you are under 18 and leave home, your parent/guardian may file you as a runaway and you may be returned home. Also, those you stay with may run the risk of being charged with harboring a runaway. For more specifics on the law, the local non-emergency police or legal aid may better answer legal questions.
If your dad has partial custody though, then he would also be considered a legal guardian as well. We could help you find some legal aid resources in your state that may help in clarifying some questions for you and for your dad. It may be an option as well to have someone help you talk to your mom about wanting to transfer primary custody to your dad.
We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. 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).
If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

Be safe,
NRS

[Guest]

I am almost 17. My father wasn't in my life much but I want to live with him instead of my mother. They have joint custody and I want to move in with my dad instead of living with my mother, I am not allowed to have access to my bedroom and normal teenage things like a phone and being able to go out with friends, i have suffered abuse and mental issues due to me living with my mom. My mother has always kept me away fom my father, my stepmom and my sisters. If my stepmom and father come get me without my mothers permission would i be able to live with them and not have to return home and have no legal backlash for doing so?

[ccsmod5]

Hey there,
Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. We are glad that you are reaching out for help—that takes a lot of bravery. It sounds like you are going through an extremely difficult time right now with life at home and are trying to find a way to stay with your father. We are truly not legal experts when it comes to joint custody. We recommend reaching out the National Center for Youth Law at www.youthlaw.org/ or call 510-835-8098 where someone with more legal expertise can guide you. All that being said, you have your own free will. Some other options worth mentioning are temporary living arrangements that are housing shelters were youth can stay for up to 1-3 months. We could try to find one near your father’s town. Because you are 17 years old (and almost 18 years old in a few months), you may be able to stay there without parental permission. If you ever feel unsafe, you can text the word “safe” to 4HELP (44357) to receive a message of the closet Safe Place to go.

We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by forum to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail or have us call out to these resources with you or conduct a conference call with a parent, please call or chat soon. Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button). If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.
Be safe,
NRS