Care of Children Act 2004, s 28; Case: [2008] 1 NZLR 409
As with all children and young people, whether disabled or not, your parents are your guardians until you turn 18. As your guardians, they have the legal power to make major decisions about you. However, the law recognises that in your teens your parents’ powers will lessen and you should be able to make more decisions for yourself, such as consenting to sex if you’re 16 years or older.
Exactly when you should be allowed to make your own decisions will depend on you and your particular level of maturity. If, as a teenager, you have an impairment that affects your ability to understand and make decisions for yourself, your parents are likely to continue to play a major decision making role in your life until you turn 18. They may still play that role after that too, whether through an informal arrangement, or if they apply to the Family Court to be appointed as your “welfare guardians” (see “When judges and others can make decisions for you”).