Legal Question in Family Law in Missouri

"Emanicipation" is defined within the context of child support, and various events can trigger a child becoming "emancipated". Normally, the law considers a sixteen year old to be a minor and not old enough to determine major issues on his or her own. That is within the authority of the parents, or in some cases the Courts, until the child is 18, marries, enlists in the military or becomes totally independent and self-sufficient with the parents consent.