Legal Question in Family Law in Ohio

legal rights with bank account?

I'm currently 20 years old and in college. I intend to transfer to a community college to pick up my grades before transferring to a 4-year institution, and I am paying for my own education with my own money in my own bank account. However, my grandparents (who are my legal guardians, since my mother and father passed away when I was 7)control this account.

According to the court, I was able to touch the account after turning 18, so I already have been able to legally touch it for 2 years and I have never been allowed by my grandparents to touch this money because they think it is too much money for me to handle (around 40k or so).

Can I legally take this account out of their control and block them from using it? If so, what procedure do I need to use to do this? This way, I hope to transfer schools and help pay for where I would be living, since I would most likely live with my boyfriend and help pay for expenses.


Asked on 8/15/06, 4:05 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Nancy Fioritto Patete Nancy Fioritto Patete, Esq.

Re: legal rights with bank account?

If you are right about the terms of your grandparents' guardianship over you, the account should be released to you. First, speak to an officer of the bank holding the account for advice or instructions. Otherwise, contact an attorney for help. On a personal note, you are now an adult, but still a young adult. $40,000 is not that much money to put toward college, even when a person starts at a community college. Add to that the fact that you intend to live independently from your grandparents, even though you will be cohabitating with your boyfriend and presumably sharing expenses with him. You've just added more cost burden to yourself. This may be your grandparents' concern.

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Answered on 8/15/06, 10:19 am


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