Emancipation

[jpisyourman]

My question involves emancipation laws for the State of: Washington

I am 16. Been scratchin by with my mom since i was about 10. parents divorced when i was 9 and i started working at the age of 11 commercial crab fishing and as a deckhand on a boat charter fishing during the summers. Most of my pay is under the table and on average i make about 18,000 in a summer... Plenty more then enough to be able to support myself and then some. During the school year i take a few days off to make 2 or 3 grand during the crab season in the winter. and i still keep good grades. i am not emancipated but have been living on my own for about 6 months now. My house is in my sisters name but they are trying to kick me out because i am not 18 and i canot go live with my mom. She is on drugs extremely bad and i am supposed to get 1700 a month from the state but it is direct deposited into my moms bank account. it would be nice to have this extra income. She needs to get a job and quit realing on the world to take care of her. I dont know how i would get the money though. i have put most of what i earned that last few years toward a college fund and i am associated student body president at my high school. i dono if that will help me with the emancipation process or not. i would hope it does. but thank you for your time and i hope maybe i can get some advice........

J.P.

[aaron]

Did you read this?

Most of my pay is under the table and on average i make about 18,000 in a summer.

If you go to court and can't prove your income, or claim to be earning more than you report but that you're cheating on your taxes, the judge won't be impressed.

She is on drugs extremely bad and i am supposed to get 1700 a month from the state but it is direct deposited into my moms bank account.

That money would be for what?

[cyjeff]

And if that 1700 is due to your being the surviving child of a dead parent, when you are emancipated it stops.

[jpisyourman]

Is there a way to go about getting that money from the state... I hate knowing the fact that all of that money from the state is going to her bad habits. I dont know if i would rather become emancipated and have that money terminated so no one gets it or if i should just go on knowing my mom uses it for her bad habits. The child support she receives is supposed to help the child. In this case i see none of it and i am completely dependent for myself it is tuff to find a place to rent when i have no legal rights. If it ever came down to it i have places i can go. And taxes are taken out from the little pay that i do receive from my boss, other then that it is all tips and fillet fee.

Thank you for your reply.

Sincerely,

Jacob.

[cbg]

No, there is not a way to go about getting that money to the state. I'm not aware of any circumstances where it is payable to the child and not to the parent or legal guardian. And as said above, if you are legally emancipated it stops. This is the law. We cannot change the law for your convenience.

[jpisyourman]

Yes i understand the law cannot be changed... If someone else gained custody of me that guardian would then get the money? I am not trying to be selfish and have the money all to myself. I just want it to be used for what it is supposed to be used for. Which would be me. I want to be positive i am making the right decision before i make a firm decision and stick with it. Im sure there are thousands of kids in the same situation and i thank you for everyones help with this.

[cbg]

If someone else had legal custody of you, that person would get it.

Keep in mind that every cent does not have to be paid on things for you. If it is used to pay the rent on the house you live in and utilities so that you have light and water and a phone connection, that is a legitimate use of the money. It's not exclusively for your consumption.

[jpisyourman]

Understood.

That was the problem with my mom. WE would get the money and the bills would not get payed. $310 for rent including W/S/G. $80 or so for electric. No phone and i Eat well at school and have a small meal at home. So at most in one month we might spend $200 at the grocery store for the both of us. $590 per month. Possibly another 100 for gas. She doesnt work and i ohnestly do help her out with alot.90% of the time i would be buying groceries for both of us. It just doesnt add up. She left to alaska for 3 months without even telling me she was going to be leaving me with 2100 in bills to pay. 3 months behind on rent. Power shut off and because she couldnt handle it she left me. With her mess. Thats when i had my sister get me an apartment in her name. But its just a fact of life things happen. I just dont think it is right that she is 46 fully capable of working but wont and expects her son to take care of everything.

[cbg]

You may as well learn it now; life isn't fair.

You do understand, don't you, that if your mother wants you to come home and live there you have to do so? That you CANNOT just say, "sorry, sis rented this apartment for me and I'm staying here"? That she can have the cops bring you back if she wants to?

You are living away from home on sufferance. Until your 18th birthday, if she wants you home, you have no legal options but to go home.