Emancipation is a legal process that gives a teenager who is 16 or 17 legal independence from their parents or guardians. Emancipation can be an important legal tool for certain teenagers, but you should give it careful thought before moving ahead.

The Effects of Emancipation Once declared to be emancipated, minors have the same rights, privileges, and duties in society as adults. Although the specific rules vary among the states, emancipated minors can typically do the following: Live away from his or her parents. Keep whatever money he or she earns.

Minor emancipation laws vary by state, but most state courts charge a filing fee of between $150 and $200. You must file the petition with the court and notify your parents or legal guardians (required by most states).

A minor generally cannot become emancipated from just one parent unless there is only one parent, such as when one of the minor’s parents has died, or has terminated their parental rights. Emancipation of a minor terminates all parental custodial rights, which in turn makes that minor an adult for legal purposes.

To get a declaration of emancipation, you have to prove ALL of these things:

• You are at least 14 years old.
• You do not want to live with your parents. Your parents do not mind if you move out.
• You can handle your own money.
• You have a legal way to make money.
• Emancipation would be good for you.

If you are a teenager, the legal way to disown your family is to become “emancipated” from them. This means you’ll be legally treated as an adult with the right to make your own decisions, and your parents will no longer be your legal guardians. In most states, you have to be over 16 to pursue emancipation.

Once a minor is legally emancipated, parents no longer have to feed, house, or pay child support for the emancipated minor. Kicking an underage child (meaning under 18 in most states) out of the house, without the child being emancipated, can often be considered child abandonment, which is a crime.

If you get tossed out:

1. Make a list of homeless shelters.
2. Make a list of friends whose couches you might sleep on.
3. Make a cardboard sign: “My Mom kicked me out. Anything helps!” Those people make $10 to $70 per hour.
4. Find an abandoned car, and warm sleeping bag.

The most important thing to do is to forgive you. It is necessary, especially when the fault is yours, or you did something bad to warrant your parents kicking you out. You just need to be at peace with yourself. Where the fault is from your parent, you need to forgive them and get it off your chest.