Civil Parental Liability

In all 50 states, parents are responsible for all malicious or willful property damage done by their children. This is called civil parental liability because it’s non-criminal. The parent is obligated only to financially compensate the party harmed by his or her child's actions.

Parental civil liability is intended to compensate victims of torts and to encourage parental control and supervision. Parental civil liability begins when the minor generally is between 8 and 10 years old and ends at the age of majority, which is between 18 and 21, depending on state law.

Laws vary by state regarding the monetary limits on damages that can be collected, the age limits of the child, and the inclusion of personal injury in the tort claim. Hawaii's parental liability law remains one of the most broadly applied as it doesn't limit the financial recovery and imposes liability for both negligent and intentional torts by the minor child.

Criminal Parental Liability

Laws making parents criminally responsible for the delinquent acts of their children followed the civil liability statutes. In 1903, Colorado was the first state to enact a law against "contributing to the delinquency of a minor." Most states and the District of Columbia now have laws against contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Although these laws vary from state to state, generally parents who are found grossly neglectful from the normal standards of parental supervision and control can be jailed, fined, and ordered by the court to pay restitution to the person the child victimized.

Other examples of criminal liability include firearm access and Internet crime related laws. A number of states and the District of Columbia also have child firearm access prevention laws that, generally, make it illegal for a parent to leave a firearm within reach of his or her child. Recently,, in some Internet access and computer hacking laws cases, a parent can be responsible for their child's online crimes.

How a Family Law Attorney Can Help You

Sometimes, the skills of an experienced family law attorney is worth the money you must pay that lawyer to represent you. You may need a family lawyer because of complex legal rules involved in your particular parental liability lawsuit, These are civil statutes that can be used to hold a parent or guardian financially responsible when a minor child commits certain acts. The specifics vary from state to state in terms of the type of conduct that will trigger parental liability, as well as the extent of a parent’s financial exposure. Seek the advice of a qualified family law attorney in your area today.