Can I Get Emancipated

My question involves emancipation laws for the State of: Pennsylvania

I am 17 years old and currently living with my mother and older sister. My mom used to hit me alot and my sister would just watch and laugh because I would cry. I ended up in placement for a year because they thought I was the problem so I had to pay for it. My mom even admitted it to a lady working in a behavioral health hospital and the lady thought I was the one being hard on my mother. I had bruises all over me and they really didn't seem to care.

When I came home August of 2008, everything started to slow down a bit until my family got used to the idea of me being home again. Late March of 2009, my mom was yelling at me and saying the necklace I had on was full of demons because it had a little crystal on it with a fairy sitting on top. I went outside to talk to my boyfriend on the phone and she screamed at me to come back in. As soon as I walked into the house my 20 year old sister grabs me by the hair and throws me on the ground, so in self defense I hit her. My mom saw me hit her so then my mom grabs me and starts punching me in the face and chest and cornered me in a wall which I hit my head off of. When I got away I ran outside to call my dad. My dad had no idea about this so he was very angry. My mom got mad at me and kicked me out at the age of 16 for a month. I have never been so happy in my life when I got kicked out. I had to find places to stay and rides to work and to the doctors office and to school. I did it all on my own and I loved it. After a month my mom told me if I don't come home she'll call the cops and say I ran away.

After being home she said when I turn 17 she wants me to move out. That day came and now she doesn't want me too. I'm not allowed to go anywhere unless its to work or school and I am allowed to stay over my boyfriend's house with his parents on the weekends. I never get to be with friends so now I don't really have any. She's always yelling at me and threatening me just if I ask to be with a friend for a day. When I cry she makes fun of me and says if I don't stop crying she'll ground me.

Everyday that I have to be home I am no less then depressed. I can't focus on school and I even think about dropping out. I'm scared to take her to court because I don't know what she'll say to them or if she'll say I'm lying, but it's something I have to do because I'm really not going to stand for it anymore. I'm more mature for my age and I am ready to move on and start my life so I can be happy. I have a job and my boyfriend's parents said I can stay with them if I can get emancipated. I'm going to help them with anything they need and pay them for letting me live there. I can't live with my dad because he is a truck driver that drives around the country, but he has a very nice trailer for me to live in when I'm ready and my boyfriend is going to live with me too. My dad is going to help me get a car and even help me with getting use to being on my own because he really wants me out of my mother's house. Can someone please help me? I can't afford a lawyer but I don't want to deal with this anymore. Do you think with my situation emancipation would work? :(

Emancipation has very little to do with the WHYs of wanting it, and almost EVERYTHING to do with the showing of HOW you plan to accomplish it.

PA is unlike many states in that without a formal emancipation process, the courts MIGHT look at your situation to determine IF you MIGHT meet the VERY high standards that COULD convince a judge to declare you emancipated.

Bad grades? Won't happen. ANY type of history with police, suspension at school? Won't happen. Planning to live with a boyfriend? Won't happen. Even with his parents? Won't happen.

You need to be able to show a court that you and you ALONE not only COULD provide completely and totally for yourself without assistance, but to realistically have a chance at being emancipated, have a PROVEN history of doing so.

I knew a girl that lived in PA and she got emancipated and lived with someone else instead of by herself and she got into some trouble. The only reason why I got into trouble was because of my mom. I will do anything to leave. It's like no one understands. I have good grades. If I drop out of school will I be automatically emancipated? If I have to do that I will. I heard when your done with school you can leave. I don't see why I can't stay with my boyfriend's parents when they are the ones who let me stay when I had no place to go and I live there every weekend. They even have an extra bed for me. I can live in my dad's trailer as soon as he gives me the keys. I just need to stay with them until I see him again. What if I can get my mom to agree with it?

Dropping out of school does NOT automatically emancipate you. Get that idea of your head right now. In fact, there is nothing that automatically emancipates you except turning 18. Emancipation is reserved for those teens who have a completely clean record; no problems with school, no problems with the law, and a proven record of self support. I very much doubt that your friend was legally emancipated by the court, particularly if she has been in trouble in the past. She may believe that if she did x, she was emancipated, and she did x and no one came after her so she assumed she was right. But a legal emancipation by the court? Doesn 't sound likely.

In order to be emancipated, you have to be able to support yourself 100%. It's possible for a teen who has been emancipated to stay with someone else IF you have been able to show the court that you have the capability of supporting yourself 100%, if the person you are staying with kicks you out, or gets hit by a bus, or is transferred to New Zealand and cannot/will not take you with them. The court is not going to emancipate a teen who is going to end up needing public support to get by.

Without being emancipated, you can stay with anyone your mother gives you permission to stay with. You cannot stay with anyone your mother does not give you permission to stay with. IF she says you can stay with your boyfriend's family, you can. If she says you can't, you can't. (P.S. A plan to live with your boyfriend's family will kill any attempts at emancipation - the judge isn't stupid, honey.)

Okay how about this. Re read my situation and actually take it on your brain if you can do that. If you can't then don't even bother to reply. Your just like the rest of them. All the wolrd cares about is their disgusting selfish selves. Why don't you go hit some child today??? It's not a big deal right?? Screw my life and goodbye.

Well, aren't you the pleasant little child? I don't write the laws, sweetheart. I wouldn't be doing you any favors by telling you what you wanted to hear unless it was the truth.

The truth is that qualifying for emancipation is hard. It's supposed to be hard. It's meant to be hard. 99% of children (and you've just demonstrated why I use that word) who apply for emancipation will be turned down. Nothing in your post suggests that you qualify to be one of the remaining 1%. I'm not going to lie to you just because you'd like the answer better.

This is legal fact. The law does not emancipate you because of how bad your situation is. In those very, very rare occasions when a minor is emancipated, it is based on their ability to support themselves, NOT on what their home life is like. All the whining in the world about how bad you have it is not going to change that fact, and insulting me because you don't like the answer is not the way to go about demonstrating that you have the maturity the court will want to see before they let you loose without supervision.

I didn't mean to insult you It's just ridiculous how people don't try to understand. I'm not whining. Would you like to be in a home like that? And I am not a child. I have been through alot in my life and I don't want to discuss everything on this website. I talked to a guy from a law website and he was understanding. I didn't mean to get that way it's just frustrating.

You're simply not getting it.

All the "understanding" in the world is not going to change what the law says. I could give you all the "oh, you poor baby, what a horrible time you've had" answers in the world, but it would not make the law say what you want it to say.

The law does not say that as long as your home life is bad enough, you can be emancipated. The law says that you cannot be emancipated unless you can show a judge proof positive that you are capable of self-support.

I'm very sorry that you've had a bad time but that does not change the law.

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Quoting littleitaly1792

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I didn't mean to insult you It's just ridiculous how people don't try to understand. I'm not whining. Would you like to be in a home like that? And I am not a child. I have been through alot in my life and I don't want to discuss everything on this website. I talked to a guy from a law website and he was understanding. I didn't mean to get that way it's just frustrating.

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Your response alone tells me that in no way are you ready to live on your own.

Even if you had all of your financial ducks in a row, you wouldn't have a chance.

If you are being abused, call child protective services.

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Quoting cbg

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You're simply not getting it.

All the "understanding" in the world is not going to change what the law says. I could give you all the "oh, you poor baby, what a horrible time you've had" answers in the world, but it would not make the law say what you want it to say.

The law does not say that as long as your home life is bad enough, you can be emancipated. The law says that you cannot be emancipated unless you can show a judge proof positive that you are capable of self-support.

I'm very sorry that you've had a bad time but that does not change the law.

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Sorry but your wrong. I talked to someone who works for juvenile services. Thank you anyway.

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Quoting cyjeff

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Your response alone tells me that in no way are you ready to live on your own.

Even if you had all of your financial ducks in a row, you wouldn't have a chance.

If you are being abused, call child protective services.

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I tried calling. My mom lied so I went along with it. I'm not being put in foster care.