Legal Question in Family Law in Virginia

teen in trouble, what are my rights?

My 17 year old daughter has quit school, early October I told her that while she was in my house she would go to school, she moved out. She received several traffic violations, and has had her liscence suspended. While she was not living with me she had court dates for the violations, which included driving on suspended. I would not pay the fines since she was not living with me, she did not show up for court. She has a court date in January for one of the violations, she also wanted to move back in with me. I told her in order to move back she needed to get a job, no friends over, no going out until she got a job, basically grounding her until she got a job, she has broken my rules twice in the first week back and has shown no respect for me since she moved back in. What can I do with this court date to have her held responsible for her actions? She will be 18 in May and she moved back in so I will have to pay the fines and bail her out of trouble, but she isnt following my rules. I am a single parent, I have come home twice and found other teenagers there. Arent I responsible if anything happens to these kids? What can I do to keep other kids from coming to my house when I am at work?


Asked on 12/23/02, 8:56 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

Re: teen in trouble, what are my rights?

There is no law in the Commonwealth that I'm aware of that requires a parent of a minor child to pay fines and costs associated with the minor's traffic infractions or otherwise "bail her out of trouble"(of her own making). You can (and should) require that this ungrateful daughter pay all such costs and fines that may arise as a result of this pending January court date,in order "to have her held responsible for her actions". However, this is traffic court, not juvenile and domestic relations court, and the

former is not going to fashion a web of remedies in order to make your daughter conform to the house rules which you expect her to follow while she's living in your home.

The parents of the children who are coming into your home during the day without your permission should be notified of this potentially unwholesome situation and instructed to make every effort to keep their children out of your home during the day when you are at work.

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Answered on 12/23/02, 11:10 am


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