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Question: I live at home but don't want to. I have a job, and I support myself in every way. I buy my own food, clothes, etc. What are my parents legal responsibilities for me, and can I leave home if they do not follow them?

Answer: If you are a minor (under 18 years old in Arizona) your parents have the right and duty to control you and the duty to support you. You say that you support yourself in every way. Does this include paying rent to your parents, rent equivalent to what you would pay for a place of your own somewhere else? Do you pay for your own transportation? Insurance? Pay your own taxes? Unless you do these all these things, you probably are not truly able to support yourself.

In certain circumstances, a minor who can fully support him or herself will become an emancipated minor. However, this means the minor has the full responsibility of all of his or her needs. Merely contributing to your support does not mean that you can become emancipated.

Your parents have a duty to protect you and provide for you. Your parents do not have a duty to allow you to do what you want.

Your parents will lose their right and duty to control you if they abuse it. This usually involves some sort of criminal behavior, or behavior that puts you in danger. Not feeding, clothing, or houseing you would be examples of this behavior. Your contribution towards food, housing or clothing does not get you out of obeying them.

Unless you are fully emancipated, or your parents legally lose their right to parental authority, you cannot leave home without their permission.
Comments
6 thru 10 of 39 comments
On 04/03/06
KO from MS said:
Good Luck!
On 03/05/06
dustin from MS said:
Hello, I have a very hard problem, my girlfriend is 17 and was pregnant when we started going out. her mom has custody over her and holds it over her head, she is an unsafe mother and grandmother, her newest husband has even tried to rape my girlfriend and give her meth. her mom is money hungry and will use even her many ex-husbands to feed her glut. she even went as far as pushing me with the baby in my hands because she wanted to give him medicine after I did moments before. she is trying to ruin my girlfriends life and I actually blame her for my g-f early life mother hood.
On 01/13/06
Andrea from CO said:
I'm 16 years old and I badly want to leave the house because I'm beeing abused psychologicaly. They put me down and I'm deppresed. It's been like a hole all these years and I can't take it no longer. What can I do to get out pronto. HELP!FAST!PLEASE!
On 10/28/05
Chelsea from TX said:
Im 17 and will be 18 in less than 2 months.Im also a teen mother who is living at home with my mom and we argue all the time. Is there any way that I can move out and get my own place? If so how would I go about doing it?
On 10/28/05
kishma from NC said:
im turning 16 and i dont want to live with my mom b/c she over controls things in the house and we dont get along at all so can i leave at 16. i have a place to stay at already. im signed up for a job so can i leave her house?
6 thru 10 of 39 comments


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