What Are the Emancipation Laws in Mississippi?
Under Mississippi law, a child is not considered emancipated until the age of 21, according to Mississippi attorney John Robert White. Exceptions under the law include situations such as a child under 21 who marries, voluntarily moves out of the home, joins the military or is incarcerated for a felony.
Although many state laws consider a child emancipated at 18, Mississippi extends the age to 21, as of 2014. A child who requests emancipation through the courts before the age of 21 could be granted what is often deemed a “divorce from parents,” according to White.
Under Mississippi law, when a minor requests emancipation, the court considers the child’s residency status, age, establishment of independent living arrangements, the ability to provide financial support for his affairs and whether the parent or guardian provides consent, according to the Law Offices of John R. Reeves. Once a judge rules that a child is emancipated, the minor is released from parental control and parents are no longer responsible for providing child or financial support, shelter or food.
However, emancipation doesn’t release the parents from any child support or financial support outstanding from previous care prior to the date of emancipation, according to White.
