Legal Question in Juvenile Dependency in Michigan

You are not legally emancipated until you turn 18 ... or until you join the military with your parents' consent ... or you marry with your parents' consent ... or until a probate court judge approves an emancipation order. Your personal opinion that you are self-sufficient and mature enough to be on your own is not enough. You are not legally allowed to sign a contract (e.g., a lease, a loan, get a credit card, etc.). You're basically foraging on your own and relying on the generosity of other people to provide a lot of things for you ... so how is that different than living at home? Until you become emancipated, your parents are legally responsible for your upbringing, your basic needs, and are also potentially liable for damages you cause. That's why until you are emancipated, you must obey your parents' lawful commands. If you do not, there are statutes under which the family court can intervene and take temporary jurisdiction over you ... and then a family court judge would make decisions about where you live, etc.