Pregnant Teen wanting Emancipation

What is the name of your state? INDIANA

My nephew and his girlfriend are expecting a baby due in October... She is 17 years old now, and turns 18 in July of 2005... and since her parents have found out that she was pregnant, they have been verbably abusive, and causeing her ALOT of stress, and she is affraid of loosing the baby...

What we need to know is, how to go about getting her out of her parents house....Emancipation possibly??? She wants to leave very bad, but has no way of knowing how to go about it... Is there some way she could live with my nephew and his parents... and get out of her parents grasp and abuse LEAGALLY?

Thank you for any help...

Sincerely, A Concerned Aunt

Chances are, unless she is being physically beaten, she's not leaving home until she is 18 unless her parents give her permission.

Emancipation is generally only possible with the permission of the parents or - under exceptional circumstances - by order of a judge. Typically a judge would want to see a track record of responsibility (and getting pregnant is NOT evidence of responsibility for a teenager), the ability to support herself without the aid of the government, friends or family, and, a good reason. I don't think any of those are present here.

The other thing to be considered here is the age of the nephew ... if he is 18 or over, there could be criminal charges filed here. And, the parents COULD seek a restraining order against him.

The bottom line here is that the girl will be staying where she is unless her parents decide to permit that to change. If someone wants to hire a lawyer to fight for emancipation I doubt that it would succeed.

Carl