Legal Question in Family Law in Illinois

Carefully consider your decision, including the effect on you and your parents. Legal emancipation means that you are responsible for your support, your actions and decisions as an adult. Parental rights are terminated. Your parents may object to your emancipation. For example, if you move out of the home, gain employment, make all your own decisions such as getting married, moving to a foreign country, etc., you may be considered legally emancipated. The issue may be raised as part of your parents' divorce, and given facts to support the decision as in your best interest, a court could declare you emancipated, entitling you to no support from your parents; however, a court will carefully consider such ruling for a 16 yr old unless there is clear proof that you should be emancipated. Merely the dispute of your parents or pressure on you is not sufficient for the court to rule that parental rights are terminated, that you are emancipated.