Emancipation Rights in Virginia
Hi everyone, I'd like to start this off by telling you a little bit about myself. My name is Brandi, I'm 16 years old, and reside in Virginia. I'm an A & B honor roll student, and avoid trouble and conflict at all costs. The reason I'm posting this is because I really need some help.
You see, my parents are very emotionally abusive. And I've suffered with many family problems since I was a small child. My parents split up when I was 7 years old, and got back together when I was 10. After my 10th birthday, things began to go down hill once again and have only gotten worse with time. It used to be that they would only fight with each other, but now they are taking all of their problems out on my brother and myself. My brother has now moved out and so I am the only one left living with them. I can't even talk to them anymore, or ask them for anything without getting yelled at or fussed at for no reason what so ever.
I have tried to keep my problems and wants to myself to avoid conflict with them. But it has gotten to the point now, that no matter what I do, I'm always in an argument with them. Family, friends, and anyone that knows about how they treat me say that they act completely ridiculous and that I need to leave as soon as possible. They have threatened me on several different occasions just for crying. One time I was upset and tried to talk to them about my problems, but they simply told me to stop crying, to suck it up or they would slap it right out of me. Everytime I am upset, they mock me and make fun of me just for crying... And I try to keep to myself, to stay away from them and hide my problems, but now they follow me and taunt me. I can't seem to talk to them anymore, without making them mad, so I stay away from them and I don't ever ask them for anything. Because I know if I do ask them for anything at all, I'll never hear the end of it. And quite frankly, I'm sick of being yelled at over asking for something simple like toothpaste or shampoo.
They punish me for not talking to them, because they claim that I'm acting like a b**** to them. They've threatened to take away my friends, my boyfriend, my phone, everything I have... For no reason what so ever. I do my part around the house, I wash the dishes, sweep the floors, clean my room several times a week, but it is still not good enough. They accuse me of going out and having sex, doing drugs, and doing things behind their backs that I have never even done before! I've never done anything to them to lose their trust and I don't even ask to go to a friend's house anymore because I'm afraid to. My parents drink constantly, and quite heavily at times. Nearly every weekend they get drunk and leave me to myself, they won't let me go anywhere, so I'm stuck here with two drunk parents and no one to talk to.
I am also supposed to be taking anti-depressant pills, because I was diagnosed with depression last time I went to my doctor, but my mom won't get my anti-depressants anymore, because she feels that "I don't need them, because she never had them when she was depressed." So now I have to do without the things I need, just because of how they feel. But seriously, I want the threats to stop, I want the yelling to stop, and I want to get the things I need without being afraid to ask for them. Can someone please give me some information on what to do?! Please, I really need some help with this!!! Thank you all for reading this, please reply as soon as possible.
Re: Emancipation Rights in Virginia
Virginia's emancipation law provides:
Quote:
Quoting Virginia Code § 16.1-331. Petition for emancipation.
Any minor who has reached his sixteenth birthday and is residing in this Commonwealth, or any parent or guardian of such minor, may petition the juvenile and domestic relations district court for the county or city in which either the minor or his parents or guardian resides for a determination that the minor named in the petition be emancipated. The petition shall contain, in addition to the information required by
§ 16.1-262, the gender of the minor and, if the petitioner is not the minor, the name of the petitioner and the relationship of the petitioner to the minor.