Nolo Logo Lawyer Directory Newsletter Nolo Now: Nolo's Online Document Service Blogs Cart
GLOSSARY

emancipation

The act of freeing someone from restraint or bondage. For example, on January 1, 1863, slaves in the confederate states were declared free by an executive order of President Lincoln, known as the "Emancipation Proclamation." After the Civil War, this emancipation was extended to the entire country and made law by the ratification of the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution. Nowadays, emancipation refers to the point at which a child is free from parental control. It occurs when the child's parents no longer perform their parental duties and surrender their rights to the care, custody and earnings of their minor child. Emancipation may be the result of a voluntary agreement between the parents and child, or it may be implied from their acts and ongoing conduct. For example, a child who leaves her parents' home and becomes entirely self-supporting without their objection is considered emancipated, while a child who goes to stay with a friend or relative and gets a part-time job is not. Emancipation may also occur when a minor child marries or enters the military.

See Topic: Divorce & Child Custody  

FIND TERM: #  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  Y  Z 
Search:
Find a Lawyer

Legal Research: How to Find & Understand the Law
Sale Price: $25.19
ePrice: $24.99
A complete, plain-English guide to the basic tools of legal research, online and off.

Nolo's Encyclopedia of Everyday Law: Answers to Your Most Frequently Asked Legal Questions
Sale Price: $18.89
ePrice: $18.89
The plain-English facts on everything from cars, credit and kids to taxes, trademarks and trusts.

Nolo's Guide to California Law
Sale Price: $22.04
ePrice: $21.99
The Golden State has its own guide to the law! Understand consumers' rights, courts and lawsuits, wills, tenant law, real estate and more.