Can You Get Emancipated if You're in a Jobs Corps Program
My question involves juvenile law in the State of: Florida
I am 17 and my mother is my legal guardian. She is living in Florida, and I have been living in Kentucky for about 3 months. I am currently attending the Job Corps. program, which completely supports me when it comes to housing, food, water, my entire education, and I receive payment every other week for attending and working here on center. The only thing that my mother is providing at this point is my phone bill and my health insurance, both of which I have the ability to receive and maintain here in Kentucky. My mother is already supporting 5, and sometimes 7, children back in Florida. Granted, she has the help of my step-father, but he does not currently have a job.
The issue with all this is that my mother has a horrible habit of fulfilling her desires before fulfilling household bills, such as rent and electricity, and is really good at making things difficult.
Re: Does My Situation Justify an Emancipation
What is it you wish to accomplish, Tristen?
(You haven't read any threads about emancipation in Florida, have you? I suggest you start there)
Re: Does My Situation Justify an Emancipation
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Quoting
TristenT
My question involves juvenile law in the State of: Florida
I am 17 and my mother is my legal guardian. She is living in Florida, and I have been living in Kentucky for about 3 months. I am currently attending the Job Corps. program, which completely supports me when it comes to housing, food, water, my entire education, and I receive payment every other week for attending and working here on center. The only thing that my mother is providing at this point is my phone bill and my health insurance, both of which I have the ability to receive and maintain here in Kentucky. My mother is already supporting 5, and sometimes 7, children back in Florida. Granted, she has the help of my step-father, but he does not currently have a job.
The issue with all this is that my mother has a horrible habit of fulfilling her desires before fulfilling household bills, such as rent and electricity, and is really good at making things difficult.
Seems to me that you are functionally emancipated already and don't need a piece of paper from the court to acknowledge that.
The Job Corps program is likely to extend past your 18th birthday so it doesn't seem to make sense to pursue emancipation through the courts.
Is there anything that you absolutely have to do that you cannot do because you are a minor? Answer that question and it'll give us more to go on.
You're far enough away from your mother so I find it hard to imagine how she can make things difficult for you.
If you want to relieve her of the phone bill and medical insurance cost for you, feel free, although I don't think the cost of dependent coverage is going to change with one less dependent out of 5 or 7.
Re: Does My Situation Justify an Emancipation
The thing is, because of my work base and leadership positions here on center, as well as additional free time classes I am taking, I am always busy. always in meetings, working shifts, and getting stuff done. Not to mention cleaning, laundry, and other basic necessities. She has a habit of calling and arranging extra meetings, taking me off of lists, adding classes I don't need that interfere with my schedule, and finding any way possible to cause problems. Its gotten to the point that I am spending half of my day running around and sorting out issues that she has caused with these things. The only reason that she can even do all of this is because I am a minor and she is my legal guardian. I am extremely stressed with all of my responsibilities as is, I don't need, nor can I tolerate, the additional mess that she is adding to my plate. She even called me today and claims to be doing these things for fun and to remind me that she has her thumb on me. (HER WORDS)
Believe me, I didn't think she would be able to cause problems all the way from Florida, either, but I made the mistake of underestimating that spiteful woman.
As far as insurance goes, I don't care about her charges. I'm only making the point that she is already supporting all those kids and doesn't need me to add to that. It would be easier for her anyways, and the other point is that she isn't providing anything for me at this point that I cant provide for myself, so there shouldn't be an issue. But I wanted to be sure.
Re: Does My Situation Justify an Emancipation
You are busy and you do not have time to get permission to leave the center, take off, see an attorney, discuss your chances to obtain emancipation, etc. Besides that, you'd need significant funds to pay such an attorney even if they were remotely willing to undertake the process with you, which they wouldn't be. Right now the only reason you are not totally dependent on your mother for support is that you are in Job Corps. You aren't Miley Cyrus or someone like that with an independent career and a large income to support yourself. And it would probably take much longer to get emancipated, even if it were possible, than it will take for you to turn 18. I suggest that you discuss the problems you are having with your mother with the Job Corps counselors and supervisors, and ask them to be aware of what she has told you she is deliberately doing to you. There's not any way you can stop her, but if you approach the situation maturely, and try to work with the resources available to you in this quite sheltered environment. You say you have leadership positions, so you must have the trust of your supervisors. They should be willing to work with you and help you deal with your mother. Quit telling yourself "I don't need, nor can I tolerate this mess!" Yes, you can, you've got a very short time left to be dealing with your mother and you might as well do the best you can with it until you age away from her control.
Re: Does My Situation Justify an Emancipation
Quote:
Quoting
TristenT
Believe me, I didn't think she would be able to cause problems all the way from Florida, either, but I made the mistake of underestimating that spiteful woman.
I have to agree with Comment/ator.
You can try to deal with her interference by consulting with the people in charge at the Job Corps.
Otherwise, you'll just have to stick it out until your birthday.
When is your birthday?
Re: Does My Situation Justify an Emancipation
You do understand, don't you, that if the Job Corps is providing your support you are not supporting yourself, correct?
And that supporting yourself is the absolute basis for emancipation?
And that if you, yourself, with NO help, cannot show a judge that you are capable of paying every single penny of what it takes to support you, alone and unassisted, that you do not qualify for emancipation in the first place?
Not to mention that if you had done even the most cursory reading on the subject, you would know that in Florida (and that's the state whose laws would apply) you cannot be emancipated, even if you otherwise qualify, unless YOUR PARENTS file the petition?
You do realize all these things, right?