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would i qualify for an emancipation?

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bleach

Junior Member
I live in Washington state, and I am currently under the age of seventeen.

I wish to leave my family, because I don't feel as if staying with them any longer would be any good for my mental health.
I am not sure if they are abusive, per se, but they are entirely apathetic to my problems and offer no support whatsoever, and even admit to me that they think I am lying (i have had ten years worth of csa under my belt..), they mock me and tease me, and every interaction with any family member usually ends up in some sort of argument. Anything I own may be taken away at random times, with no given reason (as an example, in second grade, every last one of my books were taken away for a full year. now, it's my phone that they take away at random times. my father often tries to force me to allow him to read my chat logs with friends.). I am also dangerously suicidal, and have been diagnosed with several disorders, including a possible brain tumor, that once again, I receive no support for, from my family.

I also live in a violently transphobic/homophobic family. I have been outed to them by my school, and my father hints at sending me to conversion therapy.

By this years summer, I hope to at least progress a little farther in school, so that I may start college early, have a job, and a car.

Would my case have a chance of being taken seriously in court, and hopefully approved? Is there a possible way for me to leave this house, legally?
 
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CTU

Meddlesome Priestess
I live in Washington state, and I am currently under the age of seventeen.

I wish to leave my family, because I don't feel as if staying with them any longer would be any good for my mental health.
I am not sure if they are abusive, per se, but they are entirely apathetic to my problems and offer no support whatsoever, and even admit to me that they think I am lying (i have had ten years worth of csa under my belt..), they mock me and tease me, and every interaction with any family member usually ends up in some sort of argument. Anything I own may be taken away at random times, with no given reason (as an example, in second grade, every last one of my books were taken away for a full year. now, it's my phone that they take away at random times. my father often tries to force me to allow him to read my chat logs with friends.). I am also dangerously suicidal, and have been diagnosed with several disorders, including a possible brain tumor, that once again, I receive no support for, from my family.

By this years summer, I hope to at least progress a little farther in school, so that I may start college early, have a job, and a car.

Would my case have a chance of being taken seriously in court, and hopefully approved? Is there a possible way for me to leave this house, legally?
Please understand that emancipation is not and never has been a way for teens to escape parental control; it's a way for minors who, through no fault of their own (example: parents killed in a car crash), find themselves needing the legal means to get the power switched on in their name etc. The courts will go out of their way to find a reason to deny a petition and you have a history of mental illness, and you're not living alone and providing for yourself; you will not be emancipated in the state of Washington.
 

CTU

Meddlesome Priestess
I live in Washington state, and I am currently under the age of seventeen.

I wish to leave my family, because I don't feel as if staying with them any longer would be any good for my mental health.
I am not sure if they are abusive, per se, but they are entirely apathetic to my problems and offer no support whatsoever, and even admit to me that they think I am lying (i have had ten years worth of csa under my belt..), they mock me and tease me, and every interaction with any family member usually ends up in some sort of argument. Anything I own may be taken away at random times, with no given reason (as an example, in second grade, every last one of my books were taken away for a full year. now, it's my phone that they take away at random times. my father often tries to force me to allow him to read my chat logs with friends.). I am also dangerously suicidal, and have been diagnosed with several disorders, including a possible brain tumor, that once again, I receive no support for, from my family.

I also live in a violently transphobic/homophobic family. I have been outed to them by my school, and my father hints at sending me to conversion therapy.

By this years summer, I hope to at least progress a little farther in school, so that I may start college early, have a job, and a car.

Would my case have a chance of being taken seriously in court, and hopefully approved? Is there a possible way for me to leave this house, legally?
Your edit does not change my response.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
No. You would not qualify for emancipation.

You can leave the house, legally, on the earlier of the day your parents give you permission to leave or your 18th birthday, whichever comes first. Nothing you have posted suggests that a court would do anything but tell you to get yourself home.
 

bleach

Junior Member
No. You would not qualify for emancipation.

You can leave the house, legally, on the earlier of the day your parents give you permission to leave or your 18th birthday, whichever comes first. Nothing you have posted suggests that a court would do anything but tell you to get yourself home.
aright. thanks.
 

bleach

Junior Member
Please understand that emancipation is not and never has been a way for teens to escape parental control; it's a way for minors who, through no fault of their own (example: parents killed in a car crash), find themselves needing the legal means to get the power switched on in their name etc. The courts will go out of their way to find a reason to deny a petition and you have a history of mental illness, and you're not living alone and providing for yourself; you will not be emancipated in the state of Washington.
aright. thanks for your answer.
 

bleach

Junior Member
Try to focus your energy somewhere else. Find something you love to do - try something you've never done. Focus. :)
thanks. i dont really have anything at the moment, and i doubt ill be allowed to try something new.
thanks anyways.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Qualifying for emancipation is hard. It's supposed to be hard. It's intended to be hard. The law went out of its way to ensure that only a very, very small fraction of teens would qualify.

NO reason is good enough to be emancipated unless you first meet the qualifications. You must have an ongoing means to pay ALL of your own expenses. That means you have to be prepared to pay 100% of your rent, utilities, clothing, food, transportation, insurance, medical care, staples, school fees and supplies, and all the other minutia of life, all alone and unassisted. Having a roommate does NOT count. Living with a boyfriend, girlfriend, or BFF's family does NOT count. The court will want to see that you are capable of paying ALL of it, should you break up with the boyfriend or girlfriend, or the BFF's family kick you out, or whoever you are staying with gets hit by a bus or transferred to New Zealand. Or even Wisconsin.

Emancipation is also reserved for those teens who can show a history of better than average mental and emotional adjustment. Having "several disorders" and being suicidal does not work in your favor but works against you; it means you likely need more, not less, supervision. And a brain tumor? Remember what I said about needing to have health insurance? Whatever the new administration might do in future, right now it's still a mandate, and not one that you can likely manage on your own. Not with that in your history. Priced health insurance lately?

If you can't show the judge, who will not be easily convinced, HARD EVIDENCE in the form of pay stubs, rent receipts, paid up utility bills, an insurance policy, a budget showing your income and expenses and how they interact, etc., he won't even look at your reasons for wanting it. If you're lucky he'll pat your hand and tell you kindly to get your little rear back home where it belongs; if you're unlucky you'll stand there listening while he tears strips out of you for wasting his time, and THEN tells you not so kindly to get your little rear back home where it belongs.

Emancipation is not and never was intended to be a means to get a minor out of a bad situation; it was and is intended to be a means to give legal protections to those minors who, for reasons outside their own control, found themselves living on their own.
 

ajkroy

Member
I agree that emancipation is not the answer, but I also think that your family is abusing you. Having your phone taken away and your messages read is not abuse -- that is good parenting. Denying you medical treatment for a brain tumor and conversion therapy are.

Just because your school outed you, it doesn't mean that everyone there can't be trusted. Is there a counselor or teacher you can talk to? Someone at church? The 24-hour crisis hotline in WA state is 866-4-CRISIS.

In the meantime, there was a campaign that started six years ago called It Gets Better. Look it up online and on youtube.

I wish you the best.
 

bleach

Junior Member
I agree that emancipation is not the answer, but I also think that your family is abusing you. Having your phone taken away and your messages read is not abuse -- that is good parenting. Denying you medical treatment for a brain tumor and conversion therapy are.

Just because your school outed you, it doesn't mean that everyone there can't be trusted. Is there a counselor or teacher you can talk to? Someone at church? The 24-hour crisis hotline in WA state is 866-4-CRISIS.

In the meantime, there was a campaign that started six years ago called It Gets Better. Look it up online and on youtube.

I wish you the best.
i attend online schooling since then, so, no, there's no teacher i can talk to. i don't attend church.
thanks, but i've tried multiple hotlines. they don't really work.
 

bleach

Junior Member
Qualifying for emancipation is hard. It's supposed to be hard. It's intended to be hard. The law went out of its way to ensure that only a very, very small fraction of teens would qualify.

NO reason is good enough to be emancipated unless you first meet the qualifications. You must have an ongoing means to pay ALL of your own expenses. That means you have to be prepared to pay 100% of your rent, utilities, clothing, food, transportation, insurance, medical care, staples, school fees and supplies, and all the other minutia of life, all alone and unassisted. Having a roommate does NOT count. Living with a boyfriend, girlfriend, or BFF's family does NOT count. The court will want to see that you are capable of paying ALL of it, should you break up with the boyfriend or girlfriend, or the BFF's family kick you out, or whoever you are staying with gets hit by a bus or transferred to New Zealand. Or even Wisconsin.

Emancipation is also reserved for those teens who can show a history of better than average mental and emotional adjustment. Having "several disorders" and being suicidal does not work in your favor but works against you; it means you likely need more, not less, supervision. And a brain tumor? Remember what I said about needing to have health insurance? Whatever the new administration might do in future, right now it's still a mandate, and not one that you can likely manage on your own. Not with that in your history. Priced health insurance lately?

If you can't show the judge, who will not be easily convinced, HARD EVIDENCE in the form of pay stubs, rent receipts, paid up utility bills, an insurance policy, a budget showing your income and expenses and how they interact, etc., he won't even look at your reasons for wanting it. If you're lucky he'll pat your hand and tell you kindly to get your little rear back home where it belongs; if you're unlucky you'll stand there listening while he tears strips out of you for wasting his time, and THEN tells you not so kindly to get your little rear back home where it belongs.

Emancipation is not and never was intended to be a means to get a minor out of a bad situation; it was and is intended to be a means to give legal protections to those minors who, for reasons outside their own control, found themselves living on their own.
aright. thanks for your time.
 

stealth2

Under the Radar Member
All right are the words you are looking for. Not being mean, but being able to communicate properly is important.

I have a trans* child and I can tell you - it is a process for a parent to get to a place of acceptance. It's taken me several *years*. I love my daughter to pieces. But it's hard to put years behind you, as a parent. When you have known a person for 15/18/20 years..... changing your way of thinking/refering to them is HARD. I put a lot of thought into naming my child. To have that thrown away was hard to accept. It actually still is.

I don't know how long it is since you've come out to your parents/family, but my oldest came out at 19. She turned 25 in December. It took me a good 3-4-5 years to figure things out. And I AM accepting - as many here can attest to. But it's hard as a parent.

In any event - *I* accept you. Hang in there.
 

Shadowbunny

Queen of the Not-Rights
Stealth2, you really, really make me miss the "like" button.

Bleach, please don't give up looking for support systems. You may not have found the right fit yet, but there are so many kids out there just like you.
 

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