My question involves emancipation laws for the State of: OHIO
I have been researching the topic of when a minor can legally leave home in the state of OHIO and have seen varying answers. One source says not until the age of majority is attained (18) another source states when the age of majority is attained or graduation from high school whichever is first. The basic question is: If a child is 17 when he graduates from high school despite the fact he will not be 18 for four months, can that child legally (and without penalty to himself or another) leave home. At issue is my son who will graduate from high school at the age of 17; he wants to come live with me. His father took him as a baby and has severely limited my contact with him (my ex is a cop). My son has been prevented from getting a job so he has no money, he has not been allowed to get a driver's license so he has no transportation. His father has told him that the day he turns 18 he will no longer allow him to remain in the home; in effect throwing him out with no money and no car. My son does not want to wait until he is 18, he wants to leave as soon as he graduates. To complicate matters, one of my daughters was raped by a relative of her father's and I was accused of this event (never prosecuted) so my ex could get custody of my children. Yes, it's a never ending mess. The bottom line is, can my son leave his father's home as soon as he graduates without being dragged back only to be thrown out a few months later and without me ending up in jail or court as a result of it?

