questions & answers

Question: x boyfriend and i have a 17 year old son, the father got involved in his life at age 12, last year i agreed to joint custody, because he would be put in a better, our son attened school for approx 2 months his dad felt he was not applying him self so he took him out of school. making my son a drop out, he wants to be in school badly, on top of this our son did something he disagreed with and his father kicked him out of the house, he is so depressed. he's unable to live with with me do to an abusive situation im trying to get away from. is it legal for him to put our son out like that?

Answer: The following is general legal information. To understand how a law applies to a specific situation, contact an attorney directly. A parent with custody has a duty to provide for a child and cannot subject the child to harm through neglect. See A.R.S § 13-3619. If there is concern for a child's safety, the local child welfare agency may be able to offer assistance. The Arizona Child Protective Services has a hotline, which allows anonymous reports of abuse and neglect. The number is 1-888-767-2445.