Legal Question in Family Law in California

Im 17 i've been living with my dad for almost a year now. we went to court to see if i could live with my mom and they said something drastic has to happen before they can take me from his custody. about 5yrs ago i got taken from my mom because of neglect then my sister got me and my 2 brothers we lived with her for 4yrs and we were just taken from her becasue of abuse now i live with my dad and he has hitten me but never put a hand on my brothers. i have good grade im really good at sports and hoping to get scholarships for them. but my dad tells me i need to get a job to help him pay for bills but if i get a job while im going to school and playing sports then i will only have 3hrs of sleep or so and that would be minimum wage. the court said that if he was to violate a court order then he would go to jail and i would be given to my mom. but i have thought about going for emancipation but should i wait for him to do something or should i just go for the emancipation because i can get a job with a family member who runs there own business but im not sure which is the better choice?


Asked on 10/25/10, 1:12 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
James Goff James R. Goff, Attorney at Law

In order to obtain emancipation you need to establish that you have a place to live and that you can independently support yourself. However, I would not wait to have your father endanger your health and welfare before taking action. There may be local bar association programs that will assist you in evaluating emancipation. Additionally, you should consult the Department of Social Services to see if they have a program that could assist you in your situation.

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Answered on 11/17/10, 1:29 pm


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