Maryland's Legal Age

[LeeAnn1216]

Maryland.

If a child is 17 years of age and wishs to leave their home, before the age of 18 what can be done ? Their 6 months short of their 18th birthday, is there any legal way that he or she may leave, or does this person have to wait until they are 18 ?

 

[cbg]

Unless they have their parent's permission to leave home, they have to wait until they are 18.

 

[BoredAtty]

Maryland.

If a child is 17 years of age and wishs to leave their home, before the age of 18 what can be done ? Their 6 months short of their 18th birthday, is there any legal way that he or she may leave, or does this person have to wait until they are 18 ?

The minor would need to be emancipated.

"Emancipation during minority results not from any act of the child alone, but primarily from agreement of the parent, which may be either express or implied. It may be either partial or complete. If partial, it frees the child for only a part of the period of its minority, or from only a part of the parent's rights, or for some special purpose, such as the right to earn and spend its own wages. If complete, it completely severs the parental relationship so far as legal rights and liabilities are concerned." Holly v. Maryland Auto. Ins. Fund, 349 A.2d 670, 29 Md.App. 498 (Md. App., 1971) (agreeing with Parker v. Parker, 230 S.C. 98, 94 S.E.2d 12, 13 (S. Car., 1956)).