Getting Emancipated
How can I get emancipated?
Join the military. (Requires the consent of your parent)
Have a judge declare you an emancipated minor.
How do I qualify to be emancipated by a judge?
1. You are willingly living apart from your parents or legal guardian.
2. You are managing your own money.
3. The judge believes that emancipation is in your best interests.
What do I need to do to become emancipated by a judge?
Do I need my parents’ approval to become emancipated?
Do I need to have a job to become emancipated?
Do I need to be in school to become emancipated?
What happens once I am emancipated?
Once you are emancipated many things may change. For example:
You can consent to your own medical, dental and/or mental health care.
You can sign contracts. For example, you can sign a lease to get your own apartment.
You can sue in your own name. For example, you can sue to get child support for your child. Be careful, emancipation also means that you can be sued and you will be solely responsible. Your parents or guardians would no longer be responsible for your actions.
You are no longer under your parents’ control.
Your parents do not have to support you financially.
You can decide where you want to live and establish your own residence.
You can buy and sell property.
You can receive the same public benefits as minors who are not emancipated (for example: Social Security, TANF, Food Stamps, & Medicaid).
A judge will decide whether or not to grant you full emancipation (all of the changes mentioned above would apply to you) or partial emancipation (some of the changes mentioned above would apply to you). For example, a judge could decide to emancipate you partially so you can still get financial support from your parents. In that instance, you are emancipated for everything else, but can receive child support until you turn 18.
