Emancipation in Washington state

[w_may]

I live in Washington State and will turn 16 in a couple months. My dad recieved a job transfer to Thailand. I have decided that I do not want to move since I only have 2 years of highschool left and have no desire to be uprooted from all I know and care about. My parents wont let me move in with a friend and stay here. However, a while ago, my dad said if i really didnt want to go i could try emancipation. I realize that this means I have to pay for EVERYTHING by myself. I have every intention to finish school and move on to a 4 year university. I'll be working 20 hours a week at minimum wage ($8.55/hour). I have outstanding grades and no real health problems. How does my case look? I'm pretty sure dad will consent to it due to the comment i previously mentioned.

[Proserpina]

Originally Posted by w_may

I live in Washington State and will turn 16 in a couple months. My dad recieved a job transfer to Thailand. I have decided that I do not want to move since I only have 2 years of highschool left and have no desire to be uprooted from all I know and care about. My parents wont let me move in with a friend and stay here. However, a while ago, my dad said if i really didnt want to go i could try emancipation. I realize that this means I have to pay for EVERYTHING by myself. I have every intention to finish school and move on to a 4 year university. I'll be working 20 hours a week at minimum wage ($8.55/hour). I have outstanding grades and no real health problems. How does my case look? I'm pretty sure dad will consent to it due to the comment i previously mentioned.

You cannot legally decide whether or not you want to move to Thailand - that decision is up to your parents (assuming they have joint legal custody of you if they are divorced).

Your problems are many (realistically very, very few minors are allowed to become legally emancipated) but perhaps one of the more critical would be that if your parents - or just one of them - oppose the petition you must prove that denying the emancipation would actually harm you.

Additionally, working 20 hours/week at min wage will not convince the court that you can support yourself financially (and you really have to be supporting yourself now - not "will be in the future" - and have been doing consistently to have a chance of overcoming that burden).

I'm sorry but it doesn't look like it's happening but there is information here:

[url]http://www.lawhelp.org/documents/1603914901EN.pdf?stateabbrev=/WA/[/url]

[razorbrain]

I agree with Dogmatique in the fact that the process is not something that the State will take lightly and if possible will take time if at all.

Here is the exact State law on the subject:

[url]http://apps.leg.wa.gov/Rcw/default.aspx?cite=13.64[/url] - Washington State Law

I am by no means a legal professional but I did some research and the prior is what i found. Also to start the process you can find more information at the following website.

[url]http://www.courts.wa.gov/forms/index.cfm?fa=forms.contribute&formID=17[/url] - Washington State Forms


I hope I have helped you in your situation. Best of luck.

[w_may]

Originally Posted by Dogmatique

You cannot legally decide whether or not you want to move to Thailand - that decision is up to your parents (assuming they have joint legal custody of you if they are divorced).

Your problems are many (realistically very, very few minors are allowed to become legally emancipated) but perhaps one of the more critical would be that if your parents - or just one of them - oppose the petition you must prove that denying the emancipation would actually harm you.

Additionally, working 20 hours/week at min wage will not convince the court that you can support yourself financially (and you really have to be supporting yourself now - not "will be in the future" - and have been doing consistently to have a chance of overcoming that burden).

I'm sorry but it doesn't look like it's happening but there is information here:

[url]http://www.lawhelp.org/documents/1603914901EN.pdf?stateabbrev=/WA/[/url]

i know i cant legally decide, thats why i want to emancipate. and i dont plan on attempting to file until after i get the job thats lined up for me. My parents aren't divorced but if my dad is logical so if i discuss it with him and present my plan, he wont oppose it. I guess i'm asking for advice to make my case stronger

[Proserpina]

Originally Posted by w_may

i know i cant legally decide, thats why i want to emancipate. and i dont plan on attempting to file until after i get the job thats lined up for me. My parents aren't divorced but if my dad is logical so if i discuss it with him and present my plan, he wont oppose it. I guess i'm asking for advice to make my case stronger

If Mom opposes you will still have the burden of showing how not emancipating you will actually be harmful, regardless of whether or not you meet the other criteria.

You cannot file until you're 16 anyway and again I doubt your wages are going to satisfy the requirement of showing you can be completely self-supporting.

When is the Thailand move supposed to take place?

[cbg]

20 hours a week at m/w will NOT be considered self-supporting. And it is rare indeed that "I don't want to move" is considered a valid reason for emancipation.

I really wouldn't get my hopes up that this will happen.

[w_may]

Originally Posted by Dogmatique

If Mom opposes you will still have the burden of showing how not emancipating you will actually be harmful, regardless of whether or not you meet the other criteria.

You cannot file until you're 16 anyway and again I doubt your wages are going to satisfy the requirement of showing you can be completely self-supporting.

When is the Thailand move supposed to take place?

Next August. and if dad consents then mom wont oppose. and i know i cant file til im 16, thats why im trying to get as much info as possible beforehand

[Proserpina]

Originally Posted by w_may

Next August. and if dad consents then mom wont oppose. and i know i cant file til im 16, thats why im trying to get as much info as possible beforehand

You have a very, very tough battle ahead of you.

The financial side of things alone is going to present a huge problem.

[w_may]

Originally Posted by Dogmatique

You have a very, very tough battle ahead of you.

The financial side of things alone is going to present a huge problem.

yeah. one of my best friend's parents are landlords.. im hoping i can cut a deal with them on rent. but thanks for the links and stuff everyone

[Proserpina]

Originally Posted by w_may

yeah. one of my best friend's parents are landlords.. im hoping i can cut a deal with them on rent. but thanks for the links and stuff everyone

$171/week is NOT going to convince a judge that you are able to support yourself financially without help whether you are living rent-free or paying a minimal amount.

[w_may]

Originally Posted by Dogmatique

$171/week is NOT going to convince a judge that you are able to support yourself financially without help whether you are living rent-free or paying a minimal amount.

In your opnion, what do you think the minimum would be to convince a judge?

[stealth2]

Originally Posted by w_may

In your opnion, what do you think the minimum would be to convince a judge?

A F/T job with the ability to pay going rate on rent w/o getting a break from your best friend's parents. What happens if the two of you have a fight and s/he's not your best friend anymore? Seriously - I know adults who have trouble supporting themselves at min wage/40 hours a week. No judge is going to be okay with sending you off into the wind w/a P/T job.

Why is Dad okay with you becoming emancipated, but not with you living with a friend's family?

[Proserpina]

Originally Posted by w_may

In your opnion, what do you think the minimum would be to convince a judge?

(stealth, I believe Dad may be saying "ok" to emancipation because it's a pretty safe bet that it's not going to happen in this instance...but that could just be my cynicism)

OP, in 2006 the average yearly income in WA state was $43,721.

Your proposed yearly income will be roughly $8890.

Now of course it's possible to support yourself on less than $43k/year but you are going to need at least 40 hours/week at min wage to even have a chance of convincing a judge that you should be emancipated and you will generally need to show that you can afford the average rent in your area - no breaks, no allowances, no subsidies. And utilities of course, with all of the other usual expenses.

[cbg]

Not knowing what part of Washington you are in, I randomly chose Spokane and went to craiglist.

The cheapest room I found in a quick search that included utilities (I found ONE room cheaper than this but utilities were extra) cost $275 per week. $275 per week times 52 weeks a year would exceed your total gross annual income by several thousand dollars. And that's not even counting how you would feed yourself, pay for transportation, buy clothes, insurance, medical care, school supplies....and forget all about college. Unless your grades are good enough for you to get a full scholarship of tuition, room, board and expenses (and such scholarships do not come easily even if you have a straight-A average for your full four years, which I doubt you will have once you have to work enough hours to support yourself), college will be many years in future, if at all.

So in answer to your question, unless you have a NET (that means AFTER taxes) income of AT LEAST $20,000 a year, I would expect a judge to ask you why you are wasting his time - just before the words "petition denied". And even WITH that income, emancipation is by no means a sure thing. As I said above, "I don't want to move" is rarely if ever considered a valid reason to emancipate a teen.

[chrismiles]

Maybe, if you ask really nice, Dady will get a window seat on the plane ride. That way, you can look down and see what you are leaving. It will be kind of like Google Earth. Except you will be in an airplane flying over to a near third world country. Maybe you can get a pet monkey and that will cheer you up?

Outside that you might consider getting pregnant that way you can get welfare and stay in the USA. Not the best option but I am sure it will throw some kinks in the plan of moving to a dump Thailand.