Q: if my home is a toxic place and i am 15 teen and I have a 20year old friend who is willing to take me in and house me
if i text them to take me away form my home to their house could they face legail consequences
A:
In this situation, there could potentially be legal consequences for your 20-year-old friend. In California, it is generally illegal for an adult to house a minor who has run away from home without parental consent. This could be considered "harboring a runaway" or "contributing to the delinquency of a minor."
However, if you are facing abuse, neglect, or unsafe living conditions at home, there are legal options available to protect you. Here are a few steps you can consider:
1. Contact Child Protective Services (CPS) or the police to report the abuse or neglect. They can investigate your situation and take appropriate action to ensure your safety.
2. Reach out to a trusted adult, such as a teacher, school counselor, or relative, who can help you navigate this difficult situation and connect you with appropriate resources.
3. If you do leave home, consider staying with a family member or at a licensed youth shelter rather than with your 20-year-old friend to avoid potential legal complications for them.
4. Look into the process of legal emancipation, which would allow you to live independently before turning 18. However, this process can be complex and requires demonstrating that you can support yourself financially.
Remember, your safety is the top priority. Seek help from trusted adults and professionals who can assist you through proper legal channels. Running away to stay with an adult friend, while well-intentioned, could create legal problems for them and may not be the best solution for your situation.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
