When teenagers want to move out

For some adolescents, moving out early becomes unavoidable because they begin training or studying away from home. For other teenagers, conflicts in the family may be a reason to consider other accommodation. However, young people are not allowed to choose their place of residence until they are 18 years old. Before that, it is only possible for minors to leave their parents' home with their parents' consent. How the legal situation is, if tensions and conflicts with the parents are the cause for the departure and what parents and young adults need to know on this subject, you will learn in this article.

What is the legal situation?

The fact that young people want to break away from home to enjoy their freedom and independence is a completely normal development process. Until the age of majority, however, parents bear the full personal care and property care for their offspring within the framework of parental care. Personal care also includes the so-called right to determine where the child lives. It means that parents can decide where their child lives permanently and has its center of life. So who wants to move out early at 16 or 17 years, necessarily needs their consent.

Move out with the consent of parents: What to consider?

If you consider your child mature and responsible enough to live alone, or if the start of training or studies is associated with a change of residence, nothing stands in the way of your own apartment or shared room with the consent of the legal guardians. However, young people before the age of 18 have only limited legal capacity. As a result, adolescents are not allowed to sign a rental agreement on their own. Also the contract with the energy supplier or the cell phone contract requires the consent of parents, as long as the child is a minor.

Move out against the will of the parents: When does that work?

If there are serious circumstances that endanger the child's well-being, the young people can turn to the Youth Welfare Office for support and obtain a corresponding order before the family court, which, for example, withdraws the right of residence. "Normal" conflicts, as they occur during puberty in almost all families, are not sufficient for such far-reaching measures.

Are parents still liable to pay maintenance, even if the child has moved out?

Parents are responsible for child support, even beyond the 18th birthday. The obligation to support ends only when the children can stand on their own feet financially, so usually after the completion of vocational training or studies or under certain other conditions until the child reaches the age of 25. This also applies if the offspring no longer lives at home.

What if parents can not afford the maintenance?

If the young person is in training and therefore no longer lives with parents, vocational training allowance can be paid if the requirements are met. Students can apply for BAföG. If it is a school education, there may be an entitlement to student BAföG. Minor trainees and students have the same entitlement as persons of full age. Tips on how to finance training or studies can be found on the Familienportal.NRW.