No. Wisconsin has no emancipation statute, so there is no court process for emancipation in Wisconsin. You become a legal adult at 18. Until then, a parent’s duty to support you continues, and it can last until 19 if you are still working toward a high school diploma or its equivalent.
The Wisconsin State Law Library states that Wisconsin does not have an emancipated minor law, so emancipation in Wisconsin cannot be requested by petition. For most legal purposes, adulthood begins at 18. Moving out or getting a job does not make a minor a legal adult.
The law library points to marriage as the situation where Wisconsin law treats a minor differently. Minors can marry only with the required consent, and a guardianship of a child ends if the child marries. When a minor needs another adult to take legal responsibility, a court can appoint a guardian instead.
Without an emancipation order, child support follows the age rule: support lasts until 18, or until 19 if the child is pursuing a high school diploma or its equivalent. A parent still owes support if the child lives with someone else, such as grandparents. See how long child support lasts in Wisconsin and our Wisconsin child support law guide.
A court generally cannot base support on a child’s adult expenses, such as college, but parents can agree to cover them, and a court can enforce that agreement. Read about college expenses and child support in Wisconsin. If support should continue past 18, give the child support agency proof that the child is still in high school or a GED program.
Renier Hotopp Law Offices advises families on emancipation in Wisconsin, including when child support ends and when a guardianship fits, through our Wisconsin family law attorney services. Read more about the firm.
