Here are the rules for leaving the army if this is not your first time in the army.  Bear in mind that these rules are complicated and can change from time to time.

If you have been in the army before, then left, then rejoined, then you will have no 'Discharge as of Right' this time.

If you were still on Reserve Service when you re-enlisted

If you were still on Reserve Service when you re-enlisted then your contract picks up where you left off - as if you had never left.

If you were not on Reserve Service when you re-enlisted, or if you originally left the army using your DAOR

If you were not on Reserve Service when you re-enlisted, or if you originally left using your 'Discharge as of Right' (DAOR), then when you re-enlisted you began a new contract as if you were a new recruit, but with no right to DAOR this time.

If you are still under 18 then you have a legal right to leave at three months' notice.  If you are now 18 years old or over you normally have no legal right to leave until four years have passed since that date of your enlistment this time round.  To leave then or any time after then you must have given 12 months' notice in writing. After you leave Regular Service you will have to serve in the Reserve for the rest of your engagement, which is usually six years from the date you enlisted.  Reserve service means that you may be called out to serve on active duty at any time.

Exceptions

The above rules assume that you have not agreed in writing to extend your minimum term of Regular Service in order to receive a course of training or education or another benefit.

If you go Absent Without Leave (AWOL) you may be punished with a prison sentence and your legal right to leave will be delayed.

If there is a time of 'imminent national danger', for example if the country is attacked, you may not be allowed to leave for the duration, whatever your circumstances.

I may have no legal right to leave but still want to - what can I do?

If you find that you have no legal right to leave Regular Service for a long time, then you can still try asking for permission to leave anyway.  Permission is not normally granted but some Commanding Officers have been known to look sympathetically on such requests.  Leaving in this way is called Compassionate Discharge or Administrative Discharge and will release you from Regular Service but not necessarily Reserve Service.  Serious family problems can sometimes be grounds for a Compassionate Discharge from Regular Service -- and also from Reserve Service if you are called out to serve and still have serious family responsibilites but this is not guaranteed.  It is worth getting advice before you take this step; visit the 'Want to talk to someone?' page.

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