I am 17 and I met my dad on June 6 , I haven't seen since I was 3 years old . I have been living with my mom and stepdad for like 14 years now but my mom is a drug addict , bipolar, and the police comes to our house at least 4-5 times a year cause of her. Our house has been broken into twice and the last time was 2 months ago. The guy she was cheating on with my dad was the one who broke in and almost killed us. She has left the house and we haven't heard of her for more than a month but she has full custody of me and she said that she doesn't want me to go to puerto rico and if I do go my dad will go to jail . I want to go to puerto rico with my dad. My dad and step dad said that its all right with them if I go over there. What can I do so my step dad who has raised me since I was 3 years old to get my custody without taking to long ? Because my mom has disappear apparently

What state are you in now?
When do you turn 18?
You are free to leave on your 18th birthday. There may be circumstances under which you can leave sooner. How will you get there? What about your senior year of high school?

By the time your dad could file and it go through court you will probably be 18. Your dads money to fight for you would be better spent on a plane ticket for your 18th birthday.

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Originally Posted by joypulv

What state are you in now?
When do you turn 18?
You are free to leave on your 18th birthday. There may be circumstances under which you can leave sooner. How will you get there? What about your senior year of high school?

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I will turn 18 on January 9. My dad will buy me the plane ticket and I would finish my senior year in puerto rico . School just started anyway

So is that OK then, wait 4 1/2 months?
You may need papers from your school here. I know nothing about how transfers are done in PR. But at least it's part of the US.
If not OK to wait, you need to tell us what state you live in now.

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... She has left the house and we haven't heard of her for more than a month but she has full custody of me and she said that she doesn't want me to go to puerto rico and if I do go my dad will go to jail.. .

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As I understand what OP is saying, her mother has abandoned her, leaving her with her step-father. Both her father (in Puerto Rico) and step-father are OK with her flying to Puerto Rico to live with her father.

Under these circumstances, I see no problem with her going. Unless the father is under a court order prohibiting him from contact with OP, the mother's departing words (that, should she go, the dad could be arrested) are false.

Mom threatened that the dad will go to jaiIf she goes to Puerto Rico so what happens if she did and mom comes back soon? And wouldn't mom have to sign papers for her to go?

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Originally Posted by N0help4u

Mom threatened that the dad will go to jaiIf she goes to Puerto Rico so what happens if she did and mom comes back soon? And wouldn't mom have to sign papers for her to go?

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She comes back after she disappeared for more than a month to find that the daughter, who she abandoned with a step-father (who as far as we know has absolutely no custodial rights or obligation to support her) has left and gone to live with the daughter's father? I cannot believe that anyone would take anything she has to say seriously.

And no; mom doesn't have to sign papers for the girl to live with her father. Has she "signed papers" for the daughter to live with the step-father? Apparently no.

US schools have pretty rigorous requirements for transfer to a new school. You can't just show up, even with a parent, without enough proof of what is going on.

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Originally Posted by joypulv

US schools have pretty rigorous requirements for transfer to a new school. You can't just show up, even with a parent, without enough proof of what is going on.

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Some do. Some don't. They can cross that bridge when they come to it.

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Originally Posted by AK lawyer

And no; mom doesn't have to sign papers for the girl to live with her father. Has she "signed papers" for the daughter to live with the step-father? Apparently no.

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So she would be able to just get a passport and go to Puerto Rico at 17 without her legal guardian which is her mom signing anything.

You don't need a passport for PR - it's part of the US.