DO YOU NEED EMANCIPATION AS A MINOR?
While many parents and children choose to remain in their traditional roles until the child leaves the home, this is not always the case. In some instances, a legal minor may wish to emancipate him or herself from parents, either for professional or personal reasons. This is not terribly common in all areas of the country, it is still a regular part of family law.
Emancipation allows a legal minor to operate as a legal adult in a variety of ways. In some cases, a legal minor may seek out emancipation because of an unstable home environment. In other instances, it is to take advantage of some particular opportunity and protect their rights in the future.
Once legal minors gain emancipation from their parents, they may do a number of things typically inaccessible to minors. These include
- Entering into contracts
- Receiving money as a gift or as payment
- Getting married
- Suing another party
- Purchasing real estate
- Living away from home
- Enrolling in and attending school
- Controlling medical decisions
In some instances, a legal minor may obtain partial emancipation, allowing him or her some but not all of these privileges. This might prove useful to a young person who wishes to pursue ambitions as an entertainer while still living at home, for instance.
An attorney can help if you believe that you might benefit from full or partial emancipation. Before beginning the emancipation process, an experienced attorney can help you understand exactly how you might benefit from emancipation, as well as advise you on how to keep your rights secure and avoid potential conflicts along the way.
Source: Findlaw, “Rights, Privileges, and Duties of Emancipation,” accessed Dec. 12, 2017
