Legal Question in Family Law in New York

Leaving a child alone
I am divorced and have joint custody of my 10 yr old son. He is very good
natured, mature and responsible for his age. We live in a safe, private
community in which we have many friends who all look after each others'
children from time to time. I left him alone for about an hour to go shopping.
I asked him if he wanted to come with me or stay home. He chose to stay
home. He has my cell phone # and my neighbors' numbers in case of
emergency. He called his mother to chat, who then called me and said it was
against the law to leave him alone. Is there in fact a statute against leaving a
10 yr old child alone, given the circumstances I described?

Asked on 12/30/05, 10:27 pm

John O'Donnell Attorney at Law

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Re: Leaving a child alone

There are no statutes that specifically say you must not leave a 10 year old child home alone.

However, other laws, and good judgment, dictate that it is not a good idea to do so.

If you need a legal reference, one penal law crime comes to mind, "endangering the welfare of a minor."

Answered on 1/02/06, 9:34 am

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