Children under the age of 18 in Pennsylvania may be awarded "emancipated minor" status and be granted the status of an adult for very particular and restricted purposes that do not need going to court. If you don't get along with your parents, there are a variety of services available to assist you deal with the problem. For example, if they live in New York but you are incarcerated in Pennsylvania, a judge can order them to provide financial support for you while you are imprisoned. When you are released, you can ask the judge to revoke their permission and return you to the status of a child. The word "emancipation" has many different definitions depending on which state you are in. In Pennsylvania, it means that a child becomes legally independent from his or her parent(s). This does not mean that you are now free to do whatever you want; instead, it means that you have the legal right to control your own finances. You also have the right to make your own decisions without consulting your parents every time you take a step forward toward adulthood. However, if you still live with your parents, then you cannot be emancipated until you move out on your own. People think that being emancipated means that you are now an adult and can decide for yourself what to do with your life. But this is not true. Even though you are no longer a child, other responsibilities and rights may not be clear to you.