Interstate Marriage

Okay I am 22 yr old guy living in Virginia and I have a girlfriend that I love very much and who is 16, pregnant, and living in North Carolina. I asked her parents if I could marry her and they said "No", I then told them that she was pregnant and they kicked me out of the house. I was living with them from Friday when I got off work till Tuesday morning when I had to go back to work. My family, my girlfriend, and I decided that I was going to pick her from school and take her to Maryland to get married. I had her birth certificate and the doctors note to get married since in the state of Maryland thats all you needed. Come to find out the doctor's note had to say she had an examination not just a pregnancy test. Well at this time her parents had put out a warrant for her arrest, so we were afraid that if we waited till that Monday to go get the proper letter that she would be in some system and they would see her as a runaway so we went back to my lawyer in NC and asked her what we should do at that point and she said that we should take her back to the sheriff who we had been in contact with throughout the weekend. The sherriff and practically guarenteed a foster home because of what the parents do to her at home. So we took her back and the hearing was the next day. My girlfriend was crying and so emotionally out of it that she didn't put up any fight what so ever and the court appointed lawyer didn't do anything. So the judge said (on the parents asking) I couldn't see her for 3 months which will end June 19. Well that same day my girlfriend filed for emancipation and that hearing is on the 20th of May. So my question to you is if the emancipation doesn't work and we decide to do it all over again (since she now has the correct doctor's letter) can I take her to Georgia (since that state has a no waiting period and Maryland has a 48 hr one) and get married and her parents not be able to annul that marriage some how. I love her very much and she loves me and our child is due in October and I make more money than both her parnets put together with alot more benefits being a member of the VaARNG full time force. If you could please help me out on this that would great. Thanks alot and have a great day.

Boy are you lucky you haven't been charged with kidnapping a minor across state lines yet! (Hint--it *could* happen if you take her away to GA without the emancipation or parental permission!)

Not to mention that although for the most part marriages are recognized across state lines, it doesn't hold true if you leave your residence state specifically with the purpose of getting around their laws/waiting periods/requirements/etc. And yes, unless the emancipation goes through, her parents should be able to anull it *and* press charges--Not how you want to start a new life together, eh?

Listen--the 20th is less than a week away--see how the emancipation hearing goes before you get your britches all in a bind.

Let us know how it goes?

I have been through all the legal things that her parents could possibly do to me. In the state of NC, the only thing that the parents could do is put a warrant out for her arrest. They will only go to places like my house, my parents house, etc... They will not go on a all out man search. I would only have to worry about them pulling me over in the car and her being in it with me. And the only way they could get me for kidnapping or aiding and abetting a minor is the same way if they catch me with her. Her parents have been total jerks about this whole thing. They let me date her, stay over there for days at a time, spend nights there, and left us there alone together plenty of times. We know that we messed up but we want to take responsibility for our actions but her parents are not allowing it plus her parents insurance will not cover her whereas mine would if we were married. I love her very much as does she love me. We know we it will be hard but the both of us are ready for this committment and we would like to be able to get on with our lives together. I would love it if her parents would want to be apart of the family but it looks like they are going to drive her completely away for a long time if not forever. I will not stop her from seeing her parents because I believe that has to be her choice not mine. I wasn't planning on taking her away before the emancipation hearing. I am going to see how that turns out because who knows it might turn out to be in our favor. I am planning to wait till these 3 months that she isn't allowed to have contact with me to do it. I think her parents would have a hard time getting the marriage annulled once we are married and if they could it would probably be a long time and by then hopefully she will be close to being 18 which is not the coming September but the September of 2003. If you can think of anything else that could hinder us or any other concerns that would be helpful. Thanks!