Q: Can I be forced to continue financially and legally supporting my 18 year old if he's still in high school?
Long story short: He sexually abused my daughter, threatened to kill me over a misunderstanding, has been convicted (juvenile), is on probation in a sex-offender treatment facility for the last year and a half, and will turn 18 March 24th of this year. He already told me he will most likely reoffend if he returns.
He won't graduate until late May, wants to go into the military but will have no income (they won't let him work) or a place to stay to finish school.
Can I be forced to bring him back here, go live with him until he graduates or be held liable for negligence if I refuse further support once he turns 18?
This has torn my family apart for nearly 2 years and I feel I've done everything I can as a mother to get him to 18 without losing my personal self-control and beating the crap out of him for hurting her. I don't want to lose my other two kids because I chose self-preservation and that of my other children by "abandoning" him after he turns 18.
A: If you think he will harm your daughter again if he returns, you CANNOT let him back in the home. You may need to contact Child Protective Services, and let them know the situation. Perhaps they can find a foster home for him. Financially, you and his father are still responsible for him. CPS may or may not seek child support from you and/or his father.
1 user found this answer helpful
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.