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I’m 16, can I legally move out of my parents?
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I’m 16, can I legally move out of my parents?
I’m 16, can I legally move out of my parents? - The Mix asks an expert.
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Unfortunately, The Mix is a UK based charity so we are limited in the support we can provide to you.
I'm not sure what your home situation is like, but have you considered the first part of the article- perhaps looking into counselling or family therapy?
As we are UK based, we don't know the laws in Minnesota. You may want to contact 2-1-1 http://www.211.org/ to see if they can help you. That said, if you are looking for emotional support, feel free to sign up to our discussion boards https://community.themix.org.uk/ to chat and get support from other young people.
Take care,
Mary-Ellen@TheMix
Legally your parents can’t stop you, as at 16 you can leave home. They could maybe try to stop you but may have little control if you’re not in danger
Though it is maybe best to get advice from other people more about your specific situation. And it’s always lil bit easier if leave home with parents support, but every situation is different. The article has a link that says Shelter https://england.shelter.org.uk/ maybe useful & has a free advice helpline
But you need to be safe if leave home and need to think about things financially and ways you will be able to look after yourself
take care
It's not possible for us to say for sure whether your parents could stop you from leaving at 16 as it depends on where you are in the world. If you are in the UK, then the article states that "If you’re 16 and over you can leave home without your parents’ or carers’ consent. You’re unlikely to be made to go back home unless you are in danger. It’s not usually a good idea to leave home before you’re 18. If you’re feeling desperate, try to get advice before you pack your bags."
I'm wondering if you have thought about whether family counselling might help in your situation? Leaving home at a young age, and without a definite place to stay can leave you vulnerable to the possibility of becoming homeless. If you feel you need to get away, then it's best to contact Shelter https://www.shelter.org.uk/ for more help on housing situations.
If you'd like to get support or chat with other young people about any difficulties you might be facing, feel free to sign up to our discussion boards: https://community.themix.org.uk/
Take care,
Mary-Ellen@TheMix
Hi @trinitihibbard
I’m sorry to hear how you feel your parents mentally abuse you. It’s understandable that you would feel you can’t deal with it anymore and want to move out with your boyfriend.
Unfortunately, The Mix is based in the UK, so we are limited in the support we can provide to you. You might want to try looking up the laws in your own area or alternatively you can contact 2-1-1 http://www.211.org/ and see if they can help you. While you can post on our discussion boards https://community.themix.org.uk/ for emotional support, you might want to try reaching out to other trust worthy adults in your life such as other relatives, teachers, parents of friends, counsellor etc. for more support.
Take care,
Mary-Ellen@TheMix
Can I ask u something els old do u need to be in order to join collage
Hi @nimra125
If you are 18 and, in the UK, you can legally leave home. However, it’s always best to make sure you have a place to stay (friends, relatives, council accommodation, supported housing or renting a property). Leaving without a plan in place, especially if you aren’t financially independent, can leave you homeless (in which case Shelter https://www.shelter.org.uk/ can help with that).
As for college, you’ll usually need to be at least 16 to go to college, usually after finishing your GCSE exams.
Hope this helps a bit,
Mary-Ellen@TheMix
Hi @danny_221
If you are in the UK, the article states that “If you’re 16 and over you can leave home without your parents’ or carers’ consent. You’re unlikely to be made to go back home unless you are in danger. It’s not usually a good idea to leave home before you’re 18. If you’re feeling desperate, try to get advice before you pack your bags.”
So while you can leave without consent, it might not be a good idea to leave without telling them as they may be concerned and report you as missing if they don’t know if you are in any danger.
If you would like to talk more about your circumstances and get support, you can chat in our discussion boards https://community.themix.org.uk/ and if you are in the UK and under 25, you can get one-to-one support from our team https://www.themix.org.uk/get-support/speak-to-our-team Alternatively, you can also talk to ChildLine https://www.childline.org.uk/
Take care,
Mary-Ellen@TheMix
Hey, I'm in a really bad situation where I am mentally and sometimes even physically abused by my mum but I still love her to bits but I need to get out of that toxic situation. I was wondering if I could move out on my own but still carry on with my education. I'm not sure about my local council's policies and how they can help me.
It would be great if you could help, thank you.
Hi @bbashir
Sorry to hear that you are in bad situation at home being mentally and physically abused by your mum. You don’t deserve that at all, and it makes sense that despite the abuse, you still love your mum. Would it be worth exploring family therapy at all? If so, you might want to check out our article on family here: https://www.themix.org.uk/sex-and-relationships/family-life/family-therapy-7961.html
If you do decide to leave home, I’m wondering if you have a place to stay in mind or any relatives or friends you could stay with? If not and you are under 16, it may be more difficult to find a place to rent. If renting isn’t a possibility, then you could contact your council and state that you are homeless. For more information on this, feel free to check out our homelessness article here: https://www.themix.org.uk/housing/housing-problems/am-i-homeless-8107.html For further information, you can also check out Shelter’s website for information and advice https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice
Unfortunately we aren’t professionals so we can’t say for sure, but in theory, if you left home, you should still be able to continue with your education. However, this may depend on whether you have accommodation from Shelter or the council, or whether you would have to pay to rent privately. If you have to pay, then you will need to get information about benefits and work (depending on your age), which Shelter and Citizen’s Advice https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ can help with.
If you’d like more support, feel free to reach out on our forums or contact our team directly https://www.themix.org.uk/get-support/speak-to-our-team for one-to-one support.
Take care
Hey @myarules225
Sorry to hear that you are having problems with your parents. It’s difficult to say if you could just move out with your boyfriend. As the article states “If you’re 16 and over you can leave home without your parents’ or carers’ consent. You’re unlikely to be made to go back home unless you are in danger. It’s not usually a good idea to leave home before you’re 18. If you’re feeling desperate, try to get advice before you pack your bags.”
However, this advice applies to the UK, where we don’t have emancipation as such. If you aren’t in the UK, then you may want to look for support in your own area. If you are in the US or Canada, you can contact 2-1-1 http://211.org/ and they may be able to help you.
Take care
Hi @lexxx_
Sorry to hear that you breaking down over the way your parents are treating you. It’s natural that you’d want to move out as soon as you can, given your circumstances. Would it not be possible to see if your parents might agree to some family therapy? If you think that might be an option, feel free to check out our article here: https://www.themix.org.uk/sex-and-relationships/family-life/family-therapy-7961.html Otherwise, for the time being (and especially given the current coronavirus circumstance), you might want to read up on how to deal with problematic parents https://www.themix.org.uk/sex-and-relationships/family-life/problematic-parents-3290.html for some helpful pointers.
I understand that hearing your dad say he would call the police/report you missing and take you to court can be disheartening to hear. However, the article does say “If you’re 16 and over you can leave home without your parents’ or carers’ consent. You’re unlikely to be made to go back home unless you are in danger. It’s not usually a good idea to leave home before you’re 18. If you’re feeling desperate, try to get advice before you pack your bags.” If you aren’t in the UK, you might want to look up the laws in your own area.
It sounds like you could do with someone to talk to, especially if you feel your depression is caused by your parents. Have you tried talking to your friend about this? Now that you have an account, you can also join in our discussion boards https://community.themix.org.uk/ for a safe place to chat, vent and get support from other young people. You can also contact our team directly https://www.themix.org.uk/get-support/speak-to-our-team for one-to-one support. If you are outside of the UK, you can check out 2-1-1 http://211.org/ to find support local to you.
Take care
If you aren’t in the UK, you might want to look up the laws in your own area.
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Hi @Jamessaw54
As @Kasa2103 said, since The Mix is based in the UK, you might want to look up the laws in your own area as we are unable to help you. You might also want to try contacting 2-1-1 http://211.org/ to see if they can help you.
The article states that “If you’re 16 and over you can leave home without your parents’ or carers’ consent. You’re unlikely to be made to go back home unless you are in danger. It’s not usually a good idea to leave home before you’re 18. If you’re feeling desperate, try to get advice before you pack your bags.”
So it may be possible to move out at 16 if you wanted to, though its not always a good idea as you may run into problems trying to find somewhere to live and being financially independent.
However, it also depends on where in the world you are. This information is applicable to UK residents only, so if you don’t live in the UK, then you may want to look up the laws in your own area.
Whatever your situation is, we are here for you.
Hey @WolfAlice16
Really sorry for the very late reply!
As the article states “If you’re 16 and over you can leave home without your parents’ or carers’ consent. You’re unlikely to be made to go back home unless you are in danger. It’s not usually a good idea to leave home before you’re 18. If you’re feeling desperate, try to get advice before you pack your bags.” so if you have accommodation lined up and your mother is willing to help pay, then it may be possible to leave home. However, we can’t say for sure as we aren’t legal or financial experts. For more specific advice, you may want to try contacting citizens advice https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ to see if they can advise you further.
Feel free to update us on your situation- you might want to use our discussion boards too https://community.themix.org.uk/
Take care
Hey @A_marie
Unfortunately, we can only offer advice and support to those living in the UK as The Mix is based in the UK. Since you are in New Jersey, you might want to contact 2-1-1 https://www.211.org/ who may be able to help you or put you in touch with services who can help you.
All the best!