Q: I am 17 and I have a daughter, I was looking to be emancipated in Pennsylvania
I provide all expenses for me and my daughter except for a house. My mother is making it extremely difficult for me to parent my daughter. I live in franklin county, pa, which said they do not recognize emancipation. Is there any way for me to bypass that?
A:
Pennsylvania is a very weird bird when it comes to minors (people under 18 years of age). Pennsylvania allows minors to file 'private petitions' and recognizes minors as having standing when they lost access to both parents. However, all courts treat minors as minors even though this asker is fully free and falls under various statutes of the state that give her rights and powers of an adult.
However, there is no such thing as an emancipation proceeding either in Pennsylvania or in any other state. Emancipation is a condition, a status, characterized by a minor who is independent, self-supporting and responsible as an adult in day-to-day decisions. This asker appears to be such a person given her maternity and her caring for her child. However, there is no certificate for that.
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