How to File for Emancipation in Maryland
- 1). Decide the best route to get the petition for emancipation filed. If the parents and teen mutually decide, the parents usually must petition the court. In cases of abuse or neglect, the petition will have to be made through Maryland's Child Protective Services, and that organization has a process for determining whether emancipation is the best decision or if there are some other means to improve the home situation for the teen.
- 2). Prepare your petition for the court. Unlike other situations, there is no self-help court form in Maryland to petition for emancipation, and therefore there is no typical or "correct" way to write this type of petition. It's somewhat of a gray area in Maryland law. Including the reasoning for emancipation along with a plan for the financial support of the minor post emancipation form the basis of many of these petitions. If Child Protective Services is working with you, they will prepare the document.
- 3). File your petition with your local circuit court during business hours. Again, if you are working with Child Protective Services they will file this free of charge. If not, you will have to pay the filing fee which for most petitions is $10. You can request to have the fee waived.
- 4). Wait for the court to either schedule a hearing or to pass a ruling without the hearing. If working with Child Protective Services, you may get word of the hearing time through them.
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