I need help understanding who my Legal Guardian/Parent is now that I am 18 years old. Obviously my "parents" are my parents. But now that I am 18 years old, am I considered my own Legal Guardian?

A few questions about: School forms/documents often ask for a "parent/guardian's signature."
1) Can I sign that my self?
2) If my parents sign it, and I break the rules, is the contract technically void since I am 18 (my parent's aren't my legal guardians anymore)?
3) Is it legal for the school system to ask for my parent's signature when I am 18?
4) Would the contract still hold because I am [enrolled] in the school.
5) If I broke the contract, would my parents be held liable, but not me (or including me)?

Keep in mind, that me being 18 is the same as me being 35 (with the exception of alcohol, and a few other things). 35 year olds don't have contracts (ie: job contracts, credit card forms) asking for parent signatures.

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School allows a parent to sign a student out of school for some reasons (sick, doctors, family emergency). However, when a student signs out himself (only if age 18 or older), they keep a record. If the student sign out too many times, they threaten to file a law suit, since [in California] the schools get money equal to the number of students that show up to school for the majority/entire day. I want to know if there is a way around this.

1) Can the school legally* question exactly what happened in a "family emergency" (if that's your excuse to sign out).
2) Can a family emergency be defined as you having emotional problems (since you are technically part of your own family, and your family can include only yourself if you choose to not consider the rest of your genetic family as your 'family').
3) Could I use this in the middle of class? Can I randomly declare that there is a family emergency, and that I must leave (then sign out of school)? Is a teacher allowed to question me/stop me from leaving/delay me from leaving?

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Yes, I've already google'd to no avail... I have found some law sites, but didn't feel like reading through their thousands of laws... (even with a search, there are thousands of laws)
And there is nothing in my school's rules about this. The rules that apply are county, state, and federal laws.
Finally, no, I don't intend on skipping school all the time. I really just want to know "just so I could." Or if there is something ridiculous (like a fire drill when it's raining) I can just sign out (this actually happened a few months ago... hundreds of books were damaged from the water).

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Feb 5 2010, 7:52 am by fat_flying_pigs.

Some forms you can sign yourself, some not so much. At least at my school. We were required to get our report cards signed, and as far as I know, I wasn't allowed to sign mine. I believe your parents are considered your legal guardians as long as you are still in high school, if you don't get emancipated or anything. These are all guesses, so don't take them as law

From what I understand ...
If you are still in school, you are still a dependent thus your parents are still your guardian. I'm not sure how far that goes, though. I remember classmates asking "If I'm 18, do I have to have my parents sign this or can I sign it?" and the specific teacher just said "I guess you can sign it and just give it back right now."

Though I'm fairly certain that if your parents signed and you got into trouble it'd be on you, not your parents.

1) I've been 18 for around 8 months, but I still get my stuff signed by my parents. Technically, they are not your legal guardian, but you are still dependent, as Falkoner mentioned. They can ask about your "emergency", and probably will, but you really don't have to answer...you have a right to privacy. You can tell them as much or as little as you want, but once you've said all you want, you can just say that it's private, and if they want to know they should file a lawsuit. Technically, there's nothing in the Constitution saying you have to respond, but by extension the 5^th amendment can apply.

2) If they buy #1, then you don't have to tell them why

3) As far as signing out during class, I think they might be less lenient...

Oh, while I'm thinking about it, I'm on a school computer. Completely against expressed written rules of the school. And it feels GREAT

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Feb 5 2010, 5:23 pm by poison_us.

In my school, you can't sign any legal documents, or excuse yourself, etc, when you are 18+ without consent from your parent//guardian. Pretty lame.

Honestly, I do not recall ever having my parents have to sign a permission slip throughout my high school career.

That is kind of a Junior High and Grade School thing, or at least I thought it was.

The forms you have your parents sign aren't legal forms in any way shape or form. They're produced by the school, for school purposes. So essentially, it comes down to cause and effect. If you sign yourself out of class too frequently and you get yourself expelled, that's your fault, but since you are the legal age of majority, no one can stop you.

If there is a legal form to be signed, then your parents can't sign for you, you have to sign because you are legally an adult.

yeah..
If you lived on your own then they would have to accept your signature, but other then that your parents will have to see your report card ><!

Welcome to public school. You have no rights.

Doesn't it feel awesome?!

Lol. Read your school board policies, especially the section about parent rights.

It should say that if you're 18 (reached the age of majority) that all the rights your parents had, you now have. I'd be prepared to cite the board policy in the case a teacher says you need a parent signature or permission or otherwise. As an 18 year old you should be allowed to do everything your parents did like signing your report card (just sign the thing yourself). Don't worry about school rules, it should also say that board policies supersede the school rules.

Trust me on this, I know my rulebook front to back and I definitely know my school policies pretty darn well. In fact I know it better than the principal does (which helps me take advantage of small loopholes). Though recently they haven't been calling me on stuff.

Ignore all that other advice that you still need your parents/legal guardian for something. It is bullshit. At the age of 18 you're nearly independent. The only legally bonding thing that connects you to your parents is taxes at this point.


Take the advice above and look up your board policies (they should have a copy on the school website or in your library, and if you ask for it they have to let you see it). Find where it says at the age of 18 you can do everything your parents can. Use this policy to tell the administration that you don't have to get a parent signature. It is illegal for them to require you to get a parent signature if you're 18+ (supposing you live in the US). The laws are pretty clear about cutting the parent/legal guardian bonds once someone turns 18.

This is of course all moot if your school is private.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Feb 6 2010, 12:29 am by Sacrieur.

I remember someone was 18 in my class and they smart ass'd the teacher. He said he had his adult rights to misbehave. He went on about the Bill of Rights and claimed that restricting a human from exercising their natural abilities is against the Bill of Rights and he can walk right out of the school and not get in trouble.

He eventually sat down and said "Fine, have your wins. I will one day beat this school in the courtroom"

O.o

You kids. I don't even know why you need to beat the school system, or your parents, unless they're directly harming you.

Teenage angst. We all can has it.

That's because he can just walk out and quit school, legally speaking.

Also, we don't break the rules. The school breaks the rules and keeps us ignorant about our rights to protect us from their power abuse. Schools love exerting totalitarian control, which is illegal. All citizens, 18 or not, are guaranteed the rights assured by the 10 first amendments. Schools undermine this by stripping it from us while we are too ignorant to realize they can't do that. I believe in rebelling in the cause of freedom, not rebelling for the sake of doing so.

What specific examples do you have to support the outrageous claim that "schools break the rules and keeps us ignorant about our rights to protect us from their power abuse." You really think the school is out to get you? You act like being in school is like being shackled inside of a dungeon, with these claims that the school is totalitarian. The two are very different, I don't think you've ever experienced getting your rights stripped away, but prove me wrong.

During the Iranian post-election protests I wore a green headband (Mir Mousavi's campaign color) in support of the Iranian protests and for human rights. Its sole purpose was to promote awareness and sympathy for the Iranian people and how they were standing up for human rights. It was not disruptive to class (classes carried on as normal with no one asking about it or staring during class). So therefore it was protected under the Tinker vs. Des Moines court case (which says that if an article of clothing is not disruptive to the learning process and is not derogatory (an added restriction) then it is covered under our first amendment right of free speech which even Congress has no power of superseding). I was asked to take it off or risk expulsion just because it was a headband. Even after I explained several times it was my first amendment right and it was in support of the Iranian protests and showed proof that it was not disruptive to class.

I've been told many times I need to have a parent signature to get something signed. And it takes quite a deal of arguing to finally tell them I don't need to. I am also constantly being told what to do because it is not acceptable (read: not a socially norm). In fact I wore vibram five fingers to school to help break them in (I was going to run in them after school for cross country practice, it simulates being barefoot). I was told these shoes were pushing the limit of what I'm allowed to wear. I shat myself right there.

Again, I'm finding some teachers crack down on students for something that they have every right to do. It is oppression.

You should have taken them to court over that. That's complete and total bullshit.

You're technically right. Does it matter? Is it really worth rocking the metaphorical boat? Put the headband on after school, fake the signature, and... not sure what to do with the footwear. Even if it's legally possible to contest all these silly rules, I don't believe it's worth it. Teachers might get pissed and lower grades, if you care about that .

It's legally possible to contest all rules. That's why we have Judicial Review