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Emancipation of a Minor laws?

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lm12

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Colorado
What are the requirments to get emancipated?
I am 15 years old and live in colorado. My parents emotionally and sometimes phsically abuse me and i cannot take it anymore. I'm also ready to start my life. I do good in school, i have quite a lot of money saved up and i have a job lined up if i would be able to move out. I'd have a place to stay for free with my boyfriend. Would that be a good case?
 


cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Absolutely not.

First of all, Colorado does not have a statute for the emancipation of a minor. A minor who, with parental permission, has been successfully living on their own and managing his or her own financial affairs might possibly be considered emancipated by the state, but your state does not have a statute by which you can go to court and become emancipated.

Secondly, even in those states that do have such statutes, only two will even consider emancipating a 15 year old, and in those two states to be emancipated that young you'd better be either a nationally recognized sports figure or a successful child actor or musician. Even that won't always do it - Lee Ann Rimes was turned down for emancipation.

Third, there is not a judge in the US who will emancipate a minor so that she can go live with her boyfriend. It simply will not happen.

Fourth, in those states that do have a statute for emancipation, emancipation requires that you be capable of SELF-support. Not that you go live with someone else so that they can support you. "I'll get a job when I'm emancipated" won't cut it. Unless you ALREADY have the job AND can provide a budget of "I earn xxx.xx per week of which this much goes to rent, this much to utilities, this much to food, this much to transportation, etc." you're dead before you start.

Finally, emancipation is not and never was intended to be a means for a minor to leave home. It was and is intended to provide legal protections to those minors who, through no fault of their own, find themselves living alone.

Emancipation is NEVER granted on the basis of how bad you have it at home. In the very, very rare cases that it IS granted, it is based on your successful record of ALREADY being on your own.

If you are being abused, your recourse is to call CPS. Emancipation is not, repeat, NOT an option.
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
What exactly do you mean by "emotional" abuse? I bet if you ask most every teenager in the US that they would claim emotional abuse by their parents.

And what is this physical abuse of which you speak? What does the abuse consist of and why is it administered? What are your parents going to say abou it?

And, as a side note, understand that no court is going to consider emancipation if the plan is to move in with your boyfriend. Emancipation is not a way to start playing house or get cozy with a boyfriend, it is something the court does for the best interests of the child. Allowing you to move in with the boyfriend is neither wise nor stable (what if you split up?), and a court is not going to consider that.

If you are being physically abused, contact child services or the police.

Here is a link to the actual law (CRS 19-5-105):

Legal Resources

You will note that physical discipline and not getting along with your parents are not grounds to grant emancipation.
 

cyjeff

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Colorado
What are the requirments to get emancipated?
I am 15 years old and live in colorado. My parents emotionally and sometimes phsically abuse me and i cannot take it anymore. I'm also ready to start my life. I do good in school, i have quite a lot of money saved up and i have a job lined up if i would be able to move out. I'd have a place to stay for free with my boyfriend. Would that be a good case?
You are funny.

Why would you read every other emancipation thread and think that your situation is significantly different?

No judge is going to emancipate you to play house with your adult boyfriend. Every teenager believes they are emotionally tramatized by those mean old parents that keep saying things like, "stop seeing your adult boyfriend with his own apartment".

Quite a lot of money? I use the amount of $1500 a month as a starting point. How much you got?
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
There is at least one "special rule" for emancipation in Florida. That rule is that unless YOUR PARENTS will file the emancipation petition, you haven't got a prayer of being emancipated. Having your parents file the petition is MANDATORY. Before you even ask, NO, there is NO way around it.

It is not even close to guaranteed if they will, but if they won't, there will be no emancipation. Period.
 

cyjeff

Senior Member
are there special rules for this emancipation in florida? or is it the same in all states
Read the OP's other threads.

She wants to find a way to do her 27 year old boyfriend.

Doesn't believe us.

Oh, and emancipation doesn't mean you are immune from the other age related statutes..... you still lose.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Oh, that was her? Should have recognized the name.

Sweetie, emancipation does not let you off following other age related laws. An emancipated minor cannot smoke, cannot drink, cannot vote, and cannot have sex if they are below the age of consent.

You're just going to have to keep your knickers on until you're 18. There is NO way to get around the law. It won't hurt you to refrain from sex a few months longer. Grown up people know how to control their impulses; it's only children (or animals) who have such little control that they yield to every impulse regardless.

Your insistance is really not saying much for your level of adulthood.
 

donnagal

Junior Member
Wrong poster

cyjeff,

With respect, you are confused. It is jmc91 who is 17 in Florida with the 27 year old bf who recognizes she is jail bait. This poster is lm12 who is 15 in Colorado. We don't know how old her bf is. See your 10:19 a.m. post.
 

cyjeff

Senior Member
cyjeff,

With respect, you are confused. It is jmc91 who is 17 in Florida with the 27 year old bf who recognizes she is jail bait. This poster is lm12 who is 15 in Colorado. We don't know how old her bf is. See your 10:19 a.m. post.
I was referring to JMC91.
 

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