Have you guys heard about this? It strikes me as just f-ing insane. http://gma.yahoo.com/rachel-canning-loses-effort-parents-pay-high-school-192643568--abc-news-parenting.html
The thing that bothered me most about this was the news media bothering to cover it. Not only that but one ignorant commentator claimed it was an example of social change and kids who want everything on a platter. Got news for the guy, that's what teenagers do, they've always done it. They grow out of it. The idea this single case where some friend of the kid helped her file the case is indicative of massive social deterioration is ludicrous. This is a non-story story the news media has picked up on because outrage sells the commodity we call news.
I actually do find it newsworthy. It was a publicly filed lawsuit, and people are entitled to know what's going on in their courts. If it is extra sensitive, lawsuits can be filed where the parties' names are redacted, especially in family court. There no indication that they tried to do this. Whenever there's a novel legal argument, it's newsworthy. This issue of emancipation is different from the typical emancipation argument we see, where a child younger than 18 is seeking a court ordered emancipation. Here, the child is seeking the status of not being emancipated, despite being 18. It's an interesting issue insofar as what are parental obligations and how far can they be stretched? I find it interesting that the court determined that the parents were not responsible for the high school fees, but put over the issue of college tuition, and told the lawyers that they should think about setting a precedent. This indicates that the judge is at least considering forcing the parents to pay at least some tuition, and I'm wondering what the basis is for this. If the parents had a 529 plan, they remain the owners of the plan and are capable of changing the beneficiaries if they wish (they have other kids) or even withdrawing it for themselves (albeit with a tax penalty.) If money had been put into a minor's account, she should already have access to that account. So I wonder what the potential basis is for even considering forcing parents in this circumstance to pay for college.
In my experience, families seldom fall apart if parents are as perfect as this family is claiming to be. Who knows where all those resentments are coming from, but I'm willing to bet they have little to do with college tuition. Then again, our society has drawn the line at 18, having sucky parents who won't support you at this stage (I suspect this is how the daughter feels) is just a cross some of us have to bear. Welcome to the world of adulthood.
