Legal Question in Family Law in Washington

Re: Teen laws

The general answer is, a 16 year old is legally a child and lives where her parents decide she is going to live. Exceptions would be in a contested parenting plan action, the court would decide (a GAL would communicate her desires-she would not testify directly). Another option is emancipation of the minor, that would allow her to decide, but the burden is high on convincing a court to grant the emancipation (the State does not want her to move out from her parents' home(s) just to end up as a burden on the community city/count/state).