Q: I am 17 yr old and live in an abusive house with my mother and stepfather. My real father called DCFS no results.
It was after my stepdad beat me....they isolated me...it took 2 weeks to contact my real dad about it and he called my school counselor who reported it to DCFS my mom got mad at dad for that and went to court .judge issued an Op where I can't be around my father .she didn't even tell me, or let me be at the court hearing. I'm 17 years old and nobody will listen to me. My dad isnt allowed to talk to me abd he is all i have
A: Under Illinois law, both parents get visitation (now called "parenting time") with their children. Therefore your legal father should have court ordered visitation with you. On the Order of Protection which named you without your consent, you can appear in court on the OOP & tell the judge that you do not want an OOP against your father. You can file for your own OOP against your mother & her abusive boyfriend. If your parents were married there should be a divorce case; if they were never married, there should be a family case. Your father can file a motion asking for parenting time with you. Or keep having teachers, counselors, or nurses calling DCFS for you, or even call them yourself & tell them of the abuse you are suffering at your mom's. Every call must be investigated & there is no charge to you. Is emancipation possible? If you are self sufficient, you can file a case asking to be emancipated before you graduate from high school or turn 18 years old. But both parents must agree to it. Suggest you talk to an attorney, most offer free initial consultations & you can review all your options with an experienced advocate.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
