My question involves emancipation laws for the State of: MO
what are the steps to begin the emancipation process in the state of MO? From what I understand, a petition must be filed with a judge. Is that what needs to be done first? It sounds like there are 3 general rules, two of which require the parent's consent. A summary of this particular situation is as follows: this 16-yr old's mother passed away a couple of years ago and now he resides with his father. He has moved at least 3 times since his mom's death. His dad is an alcoholic (supposedly recovering alcoholic presently) and has a gambling addiction, so his son is left at home alone a lot while dad is at the casino. He has asked his dad before how much his social security check is that he receives from his mom's death, but has never gotten an answer. He also has inquired about his social security number and his dad won't give him that either. This young man receives A's and B's in high school and is well liked by his teachers, coaches, peers and other adults. His dad, unfortunately, is un-involved in his son's life, not even interested enough to ask him questions, such as how he's doing in school or what he does in his free time with his friends. This young man has a lot of potential and I believe he would thrive in a better home environment. He has suffered some emotional abuse so his self-esteem is low and he is insecure, etc., but overall has risen above his circumstances quite well so far. I'm sorry this is so lengthy, but wanted to share as much of the "big picture" as possible. My husband and I have known this young man a little over a year and would be willing to allow him to reside with us if he becomes emancipated. There's quite a bit more to this story, but I'll close for now. Looking forward to receiving your reply.

