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Emancipation of a Minor | Help

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Karenp8913

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
Minnesota

I am currently sixteen and I've found that it is the minimum age requirement for emancipation of minors in Minnesota. My father has not been around since the fourth grade. He abused me physically and would lock me out of the house. My mother was fully aware of this but never did anything for so many years. Eventually she left due to their own relationship problems. She blames the separation on me still to this day. Little more than a month later she got into another relationship and got pregnant very quickly. She ended up moving me and my older sister in with them that following summer. They were not legally married but the two considered themselves as a married couple. Two years later her second "husband", my "stepfather" sexually harrassed me continuously for 3 years. Finally I had the courage to stand up for myself with the help of his ex-wife and her daughter. It may be a bit confusing but my "stepfather" sent me to his ex-wife's house quite a bit and I became close to his ex-wife and her daughter. His ex-wife called my mother first, her reaction was exactly what I predicted. She told his ex-wife not to tell anyone and let her deal with it. She did the right thing and called the county police and reported this incident anyways. My mother and him destroyed all the evidence of the vulger pictures he took of me. They also dumped his laptop somewhere before the police brought them in. He ended up going to jail for only 8 months but it was cut short to 6 months because he was doing "good". Initially, my "stepfather" was going to be put away for 10 years but I'm not quite sure what happened because I did not want to be involved with any of it anymore. I continued to live with my mother for about two to three months after all of this and she was just abusing me emotionally so much that I asked to live with my grandparents. I thought all will be better and I would have the chance to heal, they too abused me emotionally because of this incident. Then it took awhile but my stepfathers ex wife persuaded my mother to sign the DOPA form and I lived with her for six months. At first all was well, then she too abused me emotionally and her daughter. I lost twenty pounds within a month living with her and I had no idea why. My mother saw that I was in pain eventually and that I constantly had no energy and I was very very thin. So she pulled me out of there. Now I'm currently living with my mother and I have been for six months and things are just getting worse here. My grandparents are living here also and I'm just constantly being abused and belittled. I still haven't had the chance to heal. The only support I've gotten are from close friends and the officials. What hurts the most is that my family blames me, and they still continue to. I would like to get emancipated but I'm not quite sure how to get started. I Have been doing a lot of research for about a year now. School is important to me, through all of this I still have straight A's. I have a job and I work six days a week. I feel I would qualify to be emancipated. I would like to try and get my mother's consent to live on my own but I'm not sure how or in what form would the consent be in. Since My birth father is not on my birth certificate I do not need his consent also. If she does not agree, then I will be forced to go to court and try to become emancipated. I would really appreciate the help, advice, and guidance.
 
Last edited:


TheGeekess

Keeper of the Kraken
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
Minnesota

I am currently sixteen and I've found that that is the minimum age requirement for emancipation of minors in Minnesota. My father has not been around since the fourth grade. He abused me physically and would lock me out of the house. My mother was fully aware of this but never did anything for so many years. Eventually she left due to their own relationship problems. She blames the separation on me still to this day. Little more than a month later she got into another relationship and got pregnant very quickly. She ended up moving me and my older sister in with them that following summer. They were not legally married but the two considered themselves as a married couple. Two years later her second "husband", my "stepfather" sexually harnessed me continuously for 3 years. Finally I had the courage to stand up for myself with the help of his ex-wife and her daughter. It may be a bit confusing but my "stepfather" sent me to his ex-wife's house quite a bit and I became close to his ex-wife and her daughter. His ex-wife called my mother first, her reaction was exactly what I predicted. She told his ex-wife not to tell anyone and let her deal with it. She did the right thing and called the county police and reported this incident anyways. My mother and him destroyed all the evidence of the vulger pictures he took of me. They also dumped his laptop somewhere before the police brought them in. He ended up going to jail for only 8 months but it was cut short to 6 months because he was doing "good". Initially, my "stepfather" was going to be put away for 10 years but I'm not quite sure what happened because I did not want to be involved with any of it anymore. I continued to live with my mother for about two to three months after all of this and she was just abusing me emotionally so much that I asked to live with my grandparents. I thought all will be better and I would have the chance to heal, they too abused me emotionally because of this incident. Then it took awhile but my stepfathers ex wife persuaded my mother to sign the DOPA form and I lived with her for six months. At first all was well, then she too abused me emotionally and her daughter. I lost twenty pounds within a month living with her and I had no idea why. My mother saw that I was in pain eventually and that I constantly had no energy and I was very very thin. So she pulled me out of there. Now I'm currently living with my mother and I have been for six months and things are just getting worse here. My grandparents are living here also and I'm just constantly being abused and belittled. I still haven't had the chance to heal. The only support I've gotten are from close friends and the officials. What hurts the most is that my family blames me, and they still continue to. I would like to get emancipated but I'm not quite sure how to get started. I Have been doing a lot of research for about a year now. School is important to me, through all of this I still have straight A's. I have a job and I work six days a week. I feel I would qualify to be emancipated. I would like to try and get my mother's consent to live on my own but I'm not sure how or in what form would the consent be in. Since My birth father is not on my birth certificate I do not need his consent also. If she does not agree, then I will be forced to go to court and try to become emancipated. I would really appreciate the help, advice, and guidance.
http://www.mncourts.gov/selfhelp/?page=2039
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
You have not indicated how you plan to pay for rent, food, clothing, utilities, transportation, medical care, insurance, school fees and supplies, etc. You realize, don't you, that an emancipated minor is responsible for complete and total self-support?
 

Karenp8913

Junior Member
You have not indicated how you plan to pay for rent, food, clothing, utilities, transportation, medical care, insurance, school fees and supplies, etc. You realize, don't you, that an emancipated minor is responsible for complete and total self-support?
Yes I do realize that. I know there are many pros and cons to becoming emancipated. I get paid 20 dollars and hour. I have a car. I'm sure I can survive. I've thought about all of it.
 

commentator

Senior Member
You mention "friends." I surely hope that doesn't mean a boyfriend and his family or a girlfriend's family. Because there is no way you can be self supporting and be in school full time unless you are planning on living with someone's family. And I bet that's what you have in mind. If you're in school and yet you've got a car and the proper car insurances, and full time job making $20 an hour at 16, that is very impressive. Especially with all the emotional abuse and troubles you've had and the number of times you've moved around. And somewhat unbelievable.
 

Proserpina

Senior Member
Karen, finances aside this is what I'm seeing and I feel this by itself will more or less guarantee the door will be closed.

I'm also taking your words as absolute truth, okay?

What's happening is we have a 16 year old minor who has suffered from ongoing abuse (various methods) for years. Because of this, we can see that the minor needs help - a lot of help.

But emancipation won't provide that help. It may actually be worse for the minor, who needs and wants a solid support system to help her through to the age of majority. It's not financial help she needs, it's emotional and psychological help which again emancipation won't provide.

Like I said though, there is at least one other viable course of action and it involves child services and foster placement. You need to involve your school counselor or another trusted adult and see where you can go from there; you actually need more adult support, not less.

I cannot see any court emancipating you.
 

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