By Nina Tarenenko
Staff Writer

Emancipation is the legal act of “divorcing” one’s parents. Most teens would jump at the idea to be free from their parents and because they won’t be able to be “controlled” anymore, but if one was to look closer, they would find that.

In Pennsylvania the legal age of emancipation is 16. However, one can be emancipated in other ways, like being a married minor, or the parents have abandoned the child. Though the chances of being married at 16 are very slim.

To be emancipated by court order, the minor has to meet certain circumstances. The minor has to be financially stable and living on their own already. This isn’t something that happens overnight; those currently looking to be emancipated have been working to meet these circumstances for some time.

There are many pros and cons of emancipation, making the decision difficult. The positives obviously being that the minor doesn’t have to follow their parent’s rules. That’s just the beginning though.

The negatives of emancipation outweigh the positives. Having to maintain a job, school, and pay the bills all come with emancipation. Though once they are independent they can legally drop out of school.

Another big factor is emotions. Some parents would be offended that their child wouldn’t want to be under their care anymore. Also dealing with the stress of all the responsibilities you would have.

Emancipation is a complicated act that only a smart, strong child could handle. Emancipation is not as easy as people make it out to be.