My ex-wife takes our 7 yr old son to the bus stop on weekdays and leaves our 5 year old son alone in her apartment sleeping. Presumably she returns before the 5 yr old awakes so he never knows he alone. I just found out this was happening and I do not like it. I want to know:
is it legal to leave a minor alone like this in NC?
can this be used by me in a custody dispute showing she is negligent?
Thank you!
Whether this would be considered neglect would depend on a number of factors, how long the walk to the bus stop is, features of the apartment, etcetera. Certainly this would be relevant information in a custody action.
[quote=“singledad”]My ex-wife takes our 7 yr old son to the bus stop on weekdays and leaves our 5 year old son alone in her apartment sleeping. Presumably she returns before the 5 yr old awakes so he never knows he alone. I just found out this was happening and I do not like it. I want to know:
is it legal to leave a minor alone like this in NC?
can this be used by me in a custody dispute showing she is negligent?
Thank you![/quote]
The legal age to leave a kid alone in NC is 8 years old.
I have limited experience but it seems to me that whether or not a judge would think this is minor, or horrible, depends entirely on the judge.
If you want the behavior to stop because it is dangerous, then send her the statute.