Legal Question in Family Law in Tennessee
Emancepation
My son is 19 and in his second year of college. He he has known and dated a young lady who is 17 for 2 years with the parents permission, and 1 year of secret dating for 1 year.This has mostly been accomplished with cell phones and secret meetings that the girls parents were not aware of. When he turned 18 they stopped the romance. She turns 18 in 6 months. She isafraid of them. Mother has custody and stepfather is calling the shots. Girl does not know if she can wait till she is 18 but wants to live at home till graduation and then leave for college and be out of the home. They are very controlling and won't let the boy come around. She just wants to have a relationship based on their love and their reasoning of the relationship. They are being forced together as it stands. They both have somewhat of level heads. They are just afraid of someone getting hurt physcially or emotionally. She is popular in school. Her parents say he is controlling and afraid for their daughter. The girl states that she is not afraid of the boyfriend and has stated as such in my precence with no fear of retrobution. Can she leave her home and go where she wants to?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Emancepation
The age of emancipation in TN is 18. Since she only has 6 months to go, I would tough it out. Although she now feels she doen't need her mothe or stepfather in her life, in a few years as she gets older and maybe have a family of her own, she will feel much different. I would not break the family ties over someone who she may never marry or if she does marry may not staty married to.