If your teen is 18 years old and wants to leave home can you legally stop him?

1. 61

   albertovichposted 12 years ago

   If your teen is 18 years old and wants to leave home can you legally stop him?
   
   I still have this issue going on... I hope its a momentary laps of reason on his behalf.

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2. 72

   BLACKANDGOLDJACKposted 12 years ago

   No, you can't legally stop him. You couldn't stop him from joining the military either.
   
   I have an 18-year-old daughter who is leaving home next week, for college. If she was doing or indicated she was going to do something I totally disapproved of, I would of course first try to reason with her. If that didn't work, we'd be talking some about the nice car she is taking to college and other incidentals that I am footing the bill for.

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3. 61

   jprice90posted 12 years ago

   My girlfriends 18, she went to VA, I followed, came back 2 weeks later, she came back a week later..let him go, let him learn on his own. I'm sure he'll be back.

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4. 68

   relacheposted 12 years ago

   You do not have any recourse to force a legal adult to do or not do anything unless you can prove they are doing something illegal, or you go to court and can prove they are a danger to the self or to others.

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5. 61

   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   I suppose it depends on where you are. In the US, 18 is the legal age and he is considered an adult.  As hard as it is, you will have to let him go. He will mature and suddenly he will realize you know "stuff."  It takes times but it will happen.
   
   If he goes though, I wouldn't let him take anything he hasn't purchased himself, computer, car etc.  Those are luxuries and require a certain amount of responsibility on the part of the owner.

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6. 0

   Garifaliaposted 12 years ago

   I'm confused a bit. If youngsters can't (legally) drink until they're 21 how can a parent agree to them leaving home when they're 18?
   The truth is that children want their parents concern at all ages; it's the suffocating control over them they don't need. In the end your child may become a better adult for leaving. My son was 17 when he left for another city to study (college) and because we were tight with money we didn't have frequent visits. At the time he wanted to go as far away from home as possible. Now, at the age of 25, still living three hours away by car, he can't get enough of us. Circumstatnces keep him away.
   
   Of course, I was present in his life through phone calls and always showing concern. Perhaps, if your child keeps insisting on leaving (does the child have steady work?) you can arrange visits from him/her and of course tell your child how proud you are of him/her and how much trust you have in him/her. Explain that it's the world out there that frightens you.
   
   We need to keep reminding them of our love through words and actions.
   
   I wish you all the best and would love to share with you anything else. Good luck.

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   1. 72

      BLACKANDGOLDJACKposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I see you live in Greece so you probably don't know this. In the US a federal law made 21 the legal drinking age 20 plus years ago whereas it used to be 18 in some states. It's 18 for voting, owning a car, and  most everything else.

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7. 80

   Diana Leeposted 12 years ago

   You can't stop him, but you can advise him, pray for him, and hope all is well as he sets out on his own. He will come back. It's hard when they flee the nest, I know. I went through this with my grandson. He drove a beat up truck from Pennsylvania to Florida all by himself. He ended up selling it for junk down there to buy a plane ticket to Texas to get to a pipeline job. He then ended up in Oklahoma worked there a couple months and bought another truck to drive home to Pennsylvania. He was 19. All this traveling to the gas fields across the country. He is 20 now and has seen more country than I ever will. He still is working close to home for now. You can't help but have concern.

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8. 59

   Joe Fiducciaposted 9 years ago

   I'm no lawyer, but legally I don't think there is much you can do.  As some others have stated, you can only continue to do your best to offer advice, experience, and "parental wisdom".  But it's now up to him to find his own path, if he hasn't already.  I'm sure it'll work out.  Best of luck.

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9. 52

   Jenjen72posted 9 years ago

   I also would like to ask what about an 18 year old that is  out who is in their 12th grade year and not to graduate until almost age 19?

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10. 48

    Shawn0009posted 8 years ago

    Yes, if your teen is 18 years old, then they can leave home on their own terms. To all the parents who are concerned about your kids ESPECIALLY the mothers, if your 18 year old or older kid wants to leave, first you reason with him/her and if that doesn't work, then just let them go. Don't let them take anything that you purchased and let them be on their own. The job of a parent is to care for them, cloth and feed them, get them through school ( college optional) and thats it. this may sound cold but if parents don't let go, your child will make choices that will negatively affect their lives. let them experience the awfulness of the world so that they can devise their own strategy on how to deal with it.
    
    Parents, i promise that if you follow this advise, your child will turn into a respectable and responsible adult.

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11. 60

    Jaxxiposted 7 years ago

    Absolutely not. He is 18 years old, and by law, you cannot kick him out either. You have to formally evict him in writing.

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