I've read around a lot of the other threads on the forum here, but I figured I would only be speculating if I didn't address my questions and have them answered directly. My girlfriend is 16 and lives in Washington. I myself am 22 and live in Florida.
With Washington law does she have to be living in a place of her own and supporting all her own bills, educational, medical, living etc? Would she need parental consent to even move into a step like that where she was able to move out and support herself? Or would she just need the financial backing to prove that she could support herself?
Next question is would it be legal for me to provide her with money for the financial backing to support herself, or pay her for any services I could have her do such as designing a website template-and paying her an off the wall amount. Would it be legal for me to pay her a high amount, especially for a job that wouldn't really be a job, almost not exist but just be something to legally declare services and payment. If so would I need a business license?
Some of the Washington law I was looking into stated this:
(2) A parent, guardian, custodian, or in the case of a dependent minor, the department, may oppose the petition for emancipation. The court shall deny the petition unless it finds, by clear and convincing evidence, that denial of the grant of emancipation would be detrimental to the interests of the minor.
Does this mean that if her father petitions the emancipation request that it will be automatically denied if the court finds her situation not "detrimental to the interests of the minor"?
Also, she hates her home situation...obviously a lot of people do. But she is constantly depressed and feels abandoned where she lives. She has a history of harming herself, and her father has threatened if he thinks she does so again to "show her how to do it right". As far as I can tell, she has never been physically harmed or neglected-would any mental neglect be enough to use to prove that being in that situation is detrimental to her?
Also, if she becomes emancipated-would it be legal for her to move from Washington and to Florida with me? Or would it be legal for her to live with me if I were to move to Washington until she is 18?
Thank you for your time, and any help would be much appretiated.