Emancipation gives you the rights of an adult when it comes to making decisions and entering into contracts, such as a lease. But your age is always taken into account when it comes to what you can and can`t do under certain laws. Even if you are emancipated, you do not have the right to possess and/or drink, smoke or vote. If you are charged with a crime, you will still go to juvenile court. If you are a man, you do not need to register for military service. Laws like these, which have age limits, continue to apply to you. If your application is denied, the judge may recommend that the Department of Health and Social Services provide services and advice to you and your family while you live together. You also have the right to appeal a decision you disagree with if you think the judge made an “error of law.” The law is not entirely clear as to what the appeal process is. To be sure, you must appeal to the Supreme Court within 5 business days. Talk to your court-appointed lawyer immediately. The District Court of Maine will appoint a free attorney to represent you.

This lawyer will be appointed to help you complete and submit the emancipation application and to represent you at the hearing. To begin the emancipation process, you will receive a copy of the legal aid application form and submit it to the district court where one of the parents lives. You can give it to the court office or mail it to the court. It will not cost you anything to submit the documents. If your parents don`t live in Maine, you can`t apply for emancipation in Maine. If you are 16 or 17 years old in Maine and want to get married, you must have written permission from your parent or guardian. As soon as you are married, you are automatically emancipated. This is the only situation in which you are emancipated without going to court. Thankfully, there are exciting steps for Maine kids, from 16 where you can get a tentative license for kids to 21 when you can finally drink legally in Maine. Most years bring some sort of new right or privilege. For example, at 19, you can drink alcohol in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, but at 18, you can drink in Montreal and the rest of Quebec.

The following table lists and briefly explains some of Maine`s fundamental age laws. No. Although some girls believe that having a baby makes them legally emancipated, this is not the case. At the hearing, you must show the judge that you are mature enough to take care of yourself. You should also show that you have a plan for where you will live, how you will take care of yourself (food, medical care, etc.), what you do for school, and what your work schedules are. The court may ask you and your parents to try mediation before a hearing is held. Mediation is a way to see if you and your parents can reach an agreement without having a court hearing. An example of an agreement is that your parents allow you to live with a relative or friend for the rest of the school year, and you agree to go home for the summer. Or it could mean that your parents accept your emancipation.

If you`re at least 16 years old and living alone and want to make your own decisions, the Maine Emancipation Act can help. Emancipation means that you are no longer under the control of your parents. You can be treated like an adult by others. Maine courts follow strict standards when deciding if you are mature enough to be emancipated. You do not need to send your parents a copy of the legal aid application form you submit to the court. The court will not notify your parents that you have filed an application for emancipation until you submit the application to the court. This does not happen until you have been appointed as an independent lawyer and that lawyer has submitted your emancipation application to the court. After that, the court will schedule a hearing and send your parents (or legal guardian) and your lawyer notice of the trial date. Your parents will also receive a copy of your petition and an explanation of what emancipation means. If your parents disagree, they can go to court with a lawyer to oppose your petition. Your education or training plans (you must be in a school program if you have not completed or obtained your GED) You go to school in the district where you live.

More information about staying and going to school.