Can a 15-year-old get emancipated in Alabama?

Answer 1

That's exactly what i'm trying to do right now.;; if you find anything else out
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This is what i found while i was researching about it;

You Must:
1. Join the military (but you must be 17 to be eligible to join, and there is always the possibility that the military will say no for various reasons.) And, at the age of 17, a minor still needs parental consent to enlist in the armed services.

or

2. Get married. To get married, you need your parents’ permission, although in some states you can get married without your parents’ permission if the female is pregnant or has given birth, which means you take on the expenses not just for yourself, but for a child as well. To be married w/o parental consent, whether pregnant or not, the minor still needs a court order in EVERY state in order to marry.

or

3. Have your parent’s permission. To do this, a parent must tell the court that they no longer wish to have control over the child and are willing to relinquish his/her rights and obligations to the minor, AND the minor must prove to be self-sufficient.

To become emancipated WITHOUT any of the above, the child must be able to prove that either the parent has abandoned the child, OR the parent mistreats the child.

Mistreating does NOT include arguments, discipline, enforcement of rules (curfew, grounding, limited time on computer or cell phones), dictating who the child may associate with, or requiring the child to perform household chores. Mistreating DOES include parental abuse (physical or mental), neglect or failure to support.


When applying for emancipation, the petition needs the following information:
1. The name, address, residence, and date of birth of the minor.
2. The name, address, and current location of each of the minor's parents, if known.
3. The name, date of birth, custody, and location of any children born to the minor.
4. A statement of the minor's character, habits, education, income, and mental capacity for business.
5. A plan for success, i.e., an explanation of how the needs of the minor with respect to food, shelter, clothing, medical care, and other necessities will be met.
6. Whether the minor is a party to or the subject of a pending judicial proceeding.
7. A statement of the reason why the court should grant emancipation.

If the minor does not have the permission of BOTH parents for emancipation, then the parent who has NOT consented must be served with the petition, so to be made aware of the process.


The plan for success must include explanations for how the minor meet the following needs:

1. Shelter (rent AND utilities)
2. Food
3. Clothing
4. Medical Care (securing medical insurance)
5. Transportation
6. Living necessities (toilet paper, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and other “sundries.”)
7. School supplies
8. Furniture

The minor must also consider how s/he will pay for the following non-necessities:
1. Phone (cell and/or land line)
2. Television
3. Entertainment
4. Computer/internet access


When applying for housing, remember that a landlord may be reluctant to rent to a minor despite their emancipation status. In this case, a landlord can protect him/herself by asking the minor to find an adult to co-sign the lease. If any problems occur, the landlord can pursue the adult for the unpaid rent or other problems. So minors may still need an adult to help them secure housing.

Employers are bound by child labor laws, so a minor will not be allowed to work full time at a single job, despite emancipation status, until s/he reaches the age of 18.

Emancipated minors are required to remain in school full time until they reach the age of 18.

If emancipation is granted, the minor will have the status of an adult for purposes of all criminal and civil laws.

And, last but not least, if the state does NOT have statutes or case law allowing for emancipation, it is not an option. You cannot file for emancipation in another state that you may wish to move to once emancipated.

If you do not have parental consent for legal emancipation, the odds of it being granted are nil.


Emancipation is really designed for two types of minors: the very very rich, and the very very poor. Rich children (and by rich I mean children who have EARNED their money, like actors, singers, celebrities, etc., not children who come from money) sometimes need emancipation because they need to be in charge of their own circumstances. Even for these cases it is rare (Think LeAnn Rimes -- she could NOT get emancipated no matter how hard she tried) and when it does happen, it is often to the minor's detrament (Think MacCauley Culkin and Drew Barrymore -- both achieved emancipation, but could not actually handle their adult responsibilities and became addicts).

For the very, very poor, I am actually speaking of the homeless. Often, a homeless teenager is already making very adult decisions. It is in their best interest that they be on their own, because entering them into foster care is counterproductive.

There are other circumstances for teens who are victims of abuse, but in general, those teens will become wards of the state instead of being emancipated.