Q: Can my 17 y/o daughter live with her sister without my consent? I have asked her to come home to both of them
My 17-year-old daughter was staying with her father even though I am primary parent in our custody arrangement. Her father is now in jail and she has been staying with her sister. I have made it very clear from day 1 to both of my daughters that I am not ok with this and I want her to come home. Now, they are claiming that I have abandoned her and she isn’t safe with me. These are all false and unwarranted claims. It’s gotten to the point where my oldest daughter won’t allow my 17-year-old to even speak to me. I’m afraid that I let this go on too long because I was hoping she would come back on her own. I realize now that I’m going to need help getting her home. There has been many many many heinous, disgusting false allegations made against me by my older daughter to have family support for her keeping her sister in her home. She will be 18 in five months and at that point I realize she can leave if she wishes. But as of right now how do I go about getting her home? Please help…
A: You have the parental rights to do what you need to do to get her back home. This, unfortunately, is where the law and reality clash. You most likely will not even get into court before your daughter turns eighteen. Perhaps you can work with her and her sister in terms of advising that you are willing to move off of your demands that she return home, but that some sort of counseling needs to begin and there needs to be some ground rules. You are in a difficult situation and what you do now may effect your relationship with your daughter as she reaches adulthood and beyond.
Terrence H Thorgaard agrees with this answer
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