Child Emancipation in New Hampshire

Investigation into the Creation of a Child Emancipation Statute in New Hampshire
PRS Briefs
PRS Policy Brief 1819-02
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Eileen
Brady
Walter
Cook
Emily
Minsky
emancipation_final_052119.pdf

Child emancipation and the termination of parental rights represent large components of the juvenile legal system. Currently, there is no statute governing the granting of child emancipation in the state of New Hampshire and thus rulings in this area must be made solely on the basis of case law and situational considerations. In the process of potentially creating a New Hampshire child emancipation statute, certain factors must be considered. These include situations with pregnant minors, situations in which parents are seeking to avoid harm by a delinquent child, and direct or indirect financial costs of emancipated minors. Additionally, when constructing a child emancipation statute certain provisions and their implications must be considered. These provisions, summarized into major categories, include Marriage, Armed Services, Financial Independence, Education, Best Interest, Disability, Next Friend Filing, Maturity, and Residence. This report will focus on the effects of child emancipation statutes and their provisions with the potential creation of a New Hampshire statute in mind. It will draw upon peer states including Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Montana for points of reference.