Legal Question in Juvenile Dependency in Michigan

I�m not going to �empower� you into thinking that you can walk free into the world and do whatever you want at 17. You are not emancipated by law (unless you're among the very small number of people who petition for it in probate court and are granted early emancipation). As such, you have very limited power to care for yourself: you can�t sign contracts (like leases), you can�t make medical decisions for yourself, etc. Your parents/legal guardians have to do that for you. A boyfriend or friends' parents you're hoping to live with cannot make medical decisions for you. You can still be petitioned into family court under MCL 712A.2(d)(5), the wayward minor�s act that narrowly broadens family court jurisdiction to 17 year olds if there is incorrigibility-ish behavior that involves you doing things that put you at risk of harm (drug/alcohol use; hanging with miscreants like criminals and disorderly people; hanging with street walkers; and being �� in danger of becoming morally depraved�). Simply �disobeying� your mommy and daddy isn�t enough. Those are the technical legal consequences you're potentially facing as one who is too old to be treated as a delinquent youth (16 or younger), old enough the be prosecuted as an adult for violations of criminal laws, but not old enough (18) to legally take care of yourself. You may think that you're an adult and can care for yourself (probably with the help of a friend's family, someone you're in a relationship with, etc.), but step back and consider if this is a truly mature decision. The odds are that it is not.