I'm here out of desperation.
My girlfriend (17) lives with her mother, who is verbally and emotionally abusive, relentlessly controlling, and incredibly demanding. She's very likely bipolar, psychotic, and/or delusional, but I don't know enough about mental health to diagnose her. She may also be physically abusive and/or withhold food and other necessities, but my gf hasn't explicitly told me of any recent incidents. My girlfriend only very recently moved in with her (she used to live on her own couch surfing after leaving her also abusive father) and I'm immensely worried for her. As time goes on she only gets worse and worse.
Her only other family she's in touch with is her grandmother, who is sympathetic towards her but also does everything the mother says. No help there.
I'm 19 years old, currently enrolled in a community college with a part time job, but I also work on my father's farm and mow a lot of lawns during the summer. I have a fairly substantial income for a college student still living at home. I live with my parents and am beginning to consider the possibility of her moving in with me to escape. I would do this for her regardless of whether or not we're still together. If she broke up with me I wouldn't kick her out, is what I'm saying.
The problem is, her mother is the type of person who needs to be in control. I've tried looking up New York's laws regarding emancipation, but I'm really not finding anything that would help us figure out where to go from here. If my gf tried leaving, her mother would absolutely do everything she could to keep her.
So - I need advice.
Under the assumption that my family is willing to take her in, and she wants to, what are our legal options? I don't want her to run away illegally and be forced to return to an even worse situation. Waiting it out until graduation or until she hits 18 next December is looking worse and worse every day, though.
I appreciate any help we can get.
My girlfriend (17) lives with her mother, who is verbally and emotionally abusive, relentlessly controlling, and incredibly demanding. She's very likely bipolar, psychotic, and/or delusional, but I don't know enough about mental health to diagnose her. She may also be physically abusive and/or withhold food and other necessities, but my gf hasn't explicitly told me of any recent incidents. My girlfriend only very recently moved in with her (she used to live on her own couch surfing after leaving her also abusive father) and I'm immensely worried for her. As time goes on she only gets worse and worse.
Her only other family she's in touch with is her grandmother, who is sympathetic towards her but also does everything the mother says. No help there.
I'm 19 years old, currently enrolled in a community college with a part time job, but I also work on my father's farm and mow a lot of lawns during the summer. I have a fairly substantial income for a college student still living at home. I live with my parents and am beginning to consider the possibility of her moving in with me to escape. I would do this for her regardless of whether or not we're still together. If she broke up with me I wouldn't kick her out, is what I'm saying.
The problem is, her mother is the type of person who needs to be in control. I've tried looking up New York's laws regarding emancipation, but I'm really not finding anything that would help us figure out where to go from here. If my gf tried leaving, her mother would absolutely do everything she could to keep her.
So - I need advice.
Under the assumption that my family is willing to take her in, and she wants to, what are our legal options? I don't want her to run away illegally and be forced to return to an even worse situation. Waiting it out until graduation or until she hits 18 next December is looking worse and worse every day, though.
I appreciate any help we can get.
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