Emancipation And Child Support

**Zetei** · 12-03-2007, 04:16 PM

I'm 17 and I live in Ohio, I've recently dropped out of school and have been struggling to get a job. My living conditions are not exactly livable. I live in an apartment with my mom, who makes exactly enough to pay the bills and rent with little money left over for anything else. My mother is the most caring and hard working mom a son could wish for, and it's painful to see her walk to work every morning in the freezing cold (can't afford a car, insurance, and gas money). If my mother were to miss a week of work due to illnesses, then it's evident that we wouldn't even have the roof over our head. So I'm not complaining, I'm thankful for what I have. A caring mother and a place to live.

The issue is that my father stopped paying child support, which usually went directly to food, and other necessities (toothpaste, garbage bags, soap, shampoo) because I dropped out of school and haven't found a job yet to help support my mother. I assure you, I have been trying my hardest to get ahold of a job, but having no transportation or money for a bus has made that difficult for me. I still try.

Now, my father owes thousands of dollars in child support from when I was younger, but my mother is extremely passive and nice and only asked for 100$ a month for food. Since I dropped out my father has refused to pay any money what-so-ever for 2 months now, and has basically left me and my mother struggling to get meals everyday.

He told me "If you drop out of highschool and do not have a job, I can't pay your mother any money, because you've emancipated yourself and are considered an adult"

Can you confirm this? And if it's false could you advise any legal action I could take against my father.

I find this cruel.

**aardvarc** · 12-03-2007, 04:28 PM

Your father has very wishful thinking - but he is incorrect. Only a judge can emancipate you. The age of majority in Ohio is 18 - and he should be paying support until then. He might have to pay AFTER you reached 18 IF you were still in school...but until 18 it's not up to him to just decide to quit. Your mom needs to contact child support enforcement at 877-852-0010 and get the ball rolling on enforcing the child support order.

**aaron** · 12-03-2007, 04:46 PM

I'm going to lecture you a bit - you don't have a job yet, so you dropped out of school prematurely. Look into your options for getting your diploma - night school, or whatever else is offered in your county. Even for entry-level, menial jobs, not having a diploma can result in the door being closed in your face.

**Zetei** · 12-03-2007, 05:13 PM

I understand completely the consequences and I do want to go back to school, not only because I desire an education to be successful but because seeing my mom look at me in sincere disappointment is the worst punishment a son can recieve.

My father had told me that he had aquired some kind of documents stating that if I'm over the age 16 and don't attend school or have a job, that I'm liable for emancipation. He also stated that if I did go to school, he would have to pay child support until I was 24.

I don't understand this because I've been doing research for the past 4 hours and have yet to find anything on this. Is he mistaken?