Seattle, WA asked in Family Law, Child Custody and Domestic Violence for North Carolina

Q: If both of my parents are willing to emancipate me can I be emancipated in North Carolina without going through a court?

I haven’t lived with my parents in over a year. I am still in contact with my mother, but my family has been abusive my entire life, with my father being arrested for domestic violence, (my mother dropped the charges but we had a restraining order for a few months) and my mother being in a psychiatric hospital at least four times due to her bipolar disorder. I am currently valedictorian of my high school class and have always had a great relationship with teachers and academic grades. Both of my parents are willing to fill out paperwork to emancipate me, but I am struggling to find clear answers on wether or not that is possible in North Carolina.

1 Lawyer Answer

A: Short answer is: you'll need a court order. If you are almost 18 anyway, I'm not sure why you couldn't just wait until your 18th birthday to be able to make your own legal decisions. Contact an attorney to learn more about your options and the process of emancipation.

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