What is the legal age for a child to leave home?

02/01/2007 - Category:Divorce - Child Custody - State: VA #1202

Full Question:

What is the legal age for a child to leave home? If the circumstances are grave for the child, can another parent go and take the child if there were never any custody arrangement between the two parents, and one of the parents took the child out of state without the other parent’s consent years ago?

Answer:

Under Virginia law, "Adult" means a person 18 years of age or more. See Title 1, Chapter 2.1, Article 2, § 1-203.

For the purposes of all laws of the Commonwealth including common law, case law, and the acts of the General Assembly, unless an exception is specifically provided in this Code, a person shall be an adult, shall be of full age, and shall reach the age of majority when he becomes 18 years of age. See Title 1, Chapter 2.1, Article 2, § 1-204.

If parents are divorced, it is highly unlikely that there was no custody agreement pursuant to the decree of divorce.

If, as you say, “the circumstances are grave for the child,” the other non- custodial parent should seek full legal custody, and the court should be immediately apprised of any immediate grave circumstances facing the child.

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02/01/2007 - Category: Child Custody - State: VA #1202

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