14 and Alabama, emancipation laws please??

[iwantout]

Hi, I'm 14 and from Alabama,

I want to know the emancipation process in Alabama. I have looked at several websites talking about emancipation, but none of them were particularly helpful. My parents put me down and restrict almost all of my moves (especially when it comes to social media). I understand that this could be taken as them being overprotective, but its getting unbearble. I have been looking into several boarding schools, but my parents wont even consider letting me apply. They also talk bad about me behind my back to their friends (she's being really bratty, i wish that she would move out a lot, ect.) It's like middle school but in my own house. Someone please: Once again I want to know the emancipation laws in Alabama, AND/OR if i can move in with family if they live in another state.

I want out

[ccsmod16]

RE:14 and Alabama, emancipation laws please??

Thank you for contacting us at the National Runaway Safeline. It sounds like thing are really unbearable for you at home and you want to be independent.
Being independent can be hard in many cases. There are many things to keep in mind and be responsible for. Have you thought about where you might stay, and how you might pay for rent, food, and other expenses if you were to get emancipated? We are not legal experts but from what we know is that in the state of Alabama the age of majority is 19 years old and only minors over the age of 18 years can be considered for emancipation. If you call us at our 24 hour confidential hotline at 1-800-786-2929 or live chat with us from 4:30 PM to 11:30 PM we would be happy to listen to you, explore options and provide resources. It sounds like you already talked to your parents about boarding school. Do you have any close relative who you could feel comfortable staying with instead? If so, you could consider talking to your parents about possibly staying with them. Have you shared about this with someone else? Many times talking to a friend, or a school counselor can be helpful.
We wish you luck in whatever you decide and hope to hear from you soon.
Best,
NRS

[iwantout]

WAIT WHAT?????? why are Alabama emancipation laws different from the other states? thats not fair... is there any other way i can legally get away from my parents?

[ccsmod1]

RE: RE: 14 and Alabama, emancipation laws please??

Thanks for getting back to us. It is understandable that you are frustrated with this situation. Every state has different laws, and even states that allow emancipation usually have a minimum age limit of 16 or 17. There is no state where you can become emancipated at 14 years old. If you leave home without permission you could be considered a runaway. This means that your parents could call the police, who might force you to return home. Running away is not a crime, however anyone who allows you to stay with them could risk criminal charges for harboring a runaway, so if you move in with family in another state they could get into trouble. We are here to support you whatever decision you make, so if you are considering running away we can help talk to you about your other options or give you resources to help you stay safe. We are looking forward to your call, and wish you the best of luck.

[Guest]

My niece is living with her mother who is an alcoholic. She yells at my niece and mother-in-law all the time. She has even pushed my mother-in-law up against walls and left bruises. How could my husband and myself get custody of our niece?

[ccsmod15]

Hello there,
Thanks for reaching out to NRS. We are glad you are here to advocate for your niece. First and foremost there sounds like there may be some sort of abuse or neglect going on at home. You can report the abuse to show that her mother is an unfit parent and the living environment is not safe for the youth. We can report here via phone or out live chat or you can reach out to Child Help which is a national child abuse hotline. They can report as well. Their number is 800-422-4453 or you can chat with them at www.childhelp.org.
We are not legal experts so we cannot say exactly how the process would go of obtaining legal custody of your niece. We are happy to talk in further detail to look at resources we can provide or offer support. We unfortunately cannot respond to forums more than twice so it is best to reach us via phone or our live chat. Our phone number is 800-RUNAWAY and our live chat can be found at www.1800RUNAWAY.org.
Hope to hear from you soon.
NRS