What If My Parents Don't Want Me To Emancipate
My question involves emancipation laws for the State of: Connecticut
I am a 15 year old female, I will be 16 November 16th. I am very independent and tend to take care of myself most of the time. My parents blame me for everything, they don't really talk to me especially my dad, he goes for days without talking to me. I have therapist and she says there is to much tension in my house for a 15 year old. My parents always fight and fight with me, my dad has hit me times before. I am looking for a job for this summer, and for a job after school. If my parents don't want me emancipated what can I do ?
Re: What If My Parents Don't Want Me To Emancipate
Being in therapy will hurt more than help. My own daughter thought she could support herself when she was your age. Sit down and take a realistic look at your financial situation. I know my daughter was looking at the career counselor's information, and thought that since she had taken a high school photography class, she could get a job as a photographer. According to the career counselor's list, that job paid up to $100K a year, so she figured that she could get a job as a photographer making half that, or $50K with her semester long course behind her.
As a high school student, plan on making minimum wage (or close to it). I don't know of a single area of the country where a minimum wage employee can make it on their own.
I know you think your parents are stupid, mean, and controlling. I know you can't wait to get out and start your life with your 'soulmate'. All teenagers think that. As we grow older, we realize that our parents were smarter than we thought at 17.
Re: What If My Parents Don't Want Me To Emancipate
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Also, people mostly get emancipated because they can't stand living at home,
No they don't. Firstly, the courts grant fewer than 1% of emancipation petitions nationwide - in the states that even have provisions for emancipation.
Secondly, emancipation is granted based on need, not want. "I hate my parents and the suck and they're meeeeeeeeeeeeen!" is not grounds for emancipation, and the courts will not grant it.
"I've been orphaned and I need to be legally emancipated so I can legally sign contracts to take over the mortgage and keep the lights on." is.
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I asked my therapist about all this and she is helping me.
1) Your therapist is wrong.
2) The courts will not emancipate a minor who is in mental health treatment.
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I would like answers .. not what you think.
You're getting answers. It's really not our concern that you don't like them and stomping your little foot at us isn't going to change them.
Re: What If My Parents Don't Want Me To Emancipate
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I know that, first of all I can support myself, second of all I wouldn't be living with my boyfriend or a friend.
The COURT doesn't care what you know - the court cares what you can SHOW. Gather up all your receipts showing that you've earned enough to cover the budget you've drawn up that includes rent, health insurance, food, transportation, clothing, etc. THAT is the packet you need to have in hand to PROVE what it is that you think you know.
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I support myself more than my parents do!
How much of the rent did you pay last month? How much of the water bill, electric bill, cable/internet bill? Did YOU pay for every bite of food you took? If so, those are excellent arguements for your case. If not, you're sunk.
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I have good grades,
Excellent! Keep them up - they're important to getting into good schools, getting good jobs, etc. - especially in this tough economy with SO many other people competing for jobs.
The word CAN means nothing in an emancipation heaing. When you've gotten and HELD a job for 6 months, and that job is consistantly earning you enough to cover your comprehensive budget, THEN it will count.
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I can pay for everything I need
Again, CAN means nothing in an emancipation hearing. When you've ACTUALLY PAID FOR such expenses for a few months, you'll be ready to try (keep all of your receipts).
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I want emancipation because I can't stand living at home
No one's argueing that point, but being miserable at home has NOTHING to do with being emancipated. Nothing. No matter how bad it is. Period.
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and I know that I can support myself.
Broken record. The court cares what you can PROVE in COURT. What you "know" you can do means zero, zilch, squat, nada.
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Also, people mostly get emancipated because they can't stand living at home,
No, minors WANT emancipation for that reason - but the reality is that those who actually GET emancipated get it because they have shown the court that there is no one else to care for them - AND they have been able to show a DOCUMENTED HISTORY of providing for themselves to a high degree such that the court feels they could continue to do so, rather than placing them in foster care or making them wards of the state. This is the reason less than 1% of applications for emancipation actually make it through the process. It's a HARD process to get past - and for a good reason.
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asked my therapist about all this and she is helping me
You ask therapists questions about therapy, not about legal processes that don't involve them. The only help that being in therapy will get you in the emancipation process is if your therapist will let you live with her after the court denies emancipation.
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I would like answers .. not what you think.
Look, I get it that my opinion or anyone else's opinion here is irrelevent to you - but our opinions reflect the opinions of THE COURT who is going to respond to your request (most of the people responding to your question have SPENT some time sitting thru hearings, trials, etc. and have SOME idea of how things work). It's not that we are trying to piss on your parade - it's that regardless of what people who don't know anything about the REALITY of the process have told you, your case doesn't even come CLOSE to a possibility for emancipation at this point. I also get it that you're a teenager who knows everything there is to know about everything, and that you lack the real life experience to anticipate based on reality rather than emotion, so go ahead and get it out of your system; get on the phone and call the Clerk of Court in your county and set up a hearing. Just remember everything you've been told here when you step up to talk to the judge.
Re: What If My Parents Don't Want Me To Emancipate
What if your parents don't want you to emancipate?
Then you won't be emancipated.
It really is that simple.