Emancipation at 16 in Missouri

[AprilSmith]

My question involves emancipation laws for the State of Missouri.

My best friend is 16 years old, and getting married to her 18 year old boyfriend when she turns 17. She wants to be emancipated because her relationship with her father is horrible. He has her phone bugged, her Facebook bugged, and basically all her technology bugged so he can know what she is doing at all times. She doesn't want her little brother to be involved because he will be put into foster care due to her father. Her boyfriend's mother is trying to get her emancipated. She can't do research herself because her father will know about it.

Can she be emancipated now, without her brother being put into foster care, and without parental consent?

[Dogmatique]

Uh...her father is being a decent parent. He has every right to monitor her online activity.

Dad is doing nothing wrong.

So, onto emancipation.

Is she working? Fully supporting herself? While making good grades?

[cbg]

Quoting from the sticky that you were supposed to have read first:

In Missouri, a minor may be emancipated in one of three ways:
1) your parents may give express consent to a court that they are waiving their parental rights;

2) your parents may give implied consent, which would apply in situations where you have been living on your own, supporting yourself, and for all practical purposes your parents have relinquished their parental rights; and

3) you experience a significant change in your societal status-such as an enlistment in the military or marriage.
As in Kansas, emancipation requires the ruling of a judge.

And she cannot get married in Missouri (or in Kansas, either, should you be in that part of Missouri) at 17 without parental consent.

So sooner or later, Dad is going to know about it or it isn't going to happen. And if Dad says no, then it isn't going to happen anyway.

[AprilSmith]

He does other things to her. He verbally abuses her, among other things. She works and can fully support herself. Her grades are good except for one class.

[Dogmatique]

What type of job does she have and how much does it pay?

[AprilSmith]

She works at a restaurant, and I have no idea how much it pays.

[Dogmatique]

I can pretty much guarantee that it won't cover...

Full market rent
Utilities
Food
Clothing
Health insurance
Transportation
Sundry items


Seriously - she is not a candidate for emancipation.

[AprilSmith]

But can she be emancipated if her father verbally abuses her, that is what I'm asking.

[Dogmatique]

Hon, are you not reading the posts?

She needs to be fully self supporting before she can even go to court....and no, abuse is NOT a reason to become emancipated.

[LawResearcherMissy]

But can she be emancipated if her father verbally abuses her, that is what I'm asking.

No. Emancipation is not about "OMG, my 'rentals SUCK, they're so MEAN!"

Rather, it's about NEEDING the privileges of adulthood because your parents are dead and you need the legal ability to sign contracts to keep your full time job, continue supporting yourself, and have the utilities and lease in your name.