Well I am 14 years old and I want to live with friend because I cannot stand the living conditions I am in. Well 1st off I have 2 younger sisters who are 11 and 8 and my mom is 34. I do not like the living conditions that we are currently in right now. We are currently living in a hotel room it is small and has only 1 bed. Every night I end up sleeping on the floor with my oyher sister. This isn't the 1st time we end up living in hotels we actually move around A lot. Sometimes because of my mom's stalker ex-boyfreinds or just because we end up getting kicked out of wherever we're staying. Once last year we ended up staying in a shelter for a week. My mom has even dropped us off at my grandparents place. So I do know what it's like living with them and I really don't like it. The living conditions with my grandparents are not suitable for children. They live in a mobile where it is very very dirty and it also only has 1 bedroom. When I used to live with them my grandfather would walk around in his underwear and I would wake up with roaches on my bed. Also my grandmother has a stroke and is constantly in the hospital so therefore isn't physically capable of taking care of kids. Lastly on the subject of grandparents they drive me crazy and are constantly suffocating me! They bring a whole new meaning into killing with kindness.. I even tried running away a couple of times but than after a couple hours I jump back into reality and end up coming back home for my sisters. Anyway living with my mom is impossible. She's really lazy and claims to look for jobs but I honestly doubt that. I am constantly getting verbally abused by her. She's always calling me bad names and yelling at me for no reason and just making me feel so bad to the point where I start crying. She evn threatens me telling me that she's going to kick me out, that she doesn't want to live with me anymore but than 1 hour later she says she loves me. I can't take her bi-polarness anymore and I just can' take constantly moving and living in hotel rooms. My sisters at times don't like living the way we are but overall they seem pretty OK with. I really wouldn't know I haven't really talked to them about the situation that much. I would have already ran away if it weren't for them. The thing is, is that Im done worrying about them. I don't want to seem selfish but when they get older they could deal with their problems the way I am right now. I would like to know how I can live with my friend and her mom. They already said that I could now I guess its just talking to my mom about it. I really don't want this to effect my sisters, this is my own personal decision and if they want to still live with my mom I think they should. I guess if there was any way to not get the courts involved that would be greeat. But my mom excepts food stamps, and I think welfare. Also what would my mom do about the taxes. PLEASE TRY TO ANSWER ACCURATELY and if there are any lawyers or attorneys or anybody that knows anything about this than please tell me.

If your mother and your friend's parents are in agreement , there are two main legal ways in the USA that will allow you to live with them:
1. Guardianship
2. Legal custody

Guardianship is bestowed by the probate court,whereas a family court grants legal custody.


I guess if there was any way to not get the courts involved that would be great. But my mom excepts food stamps, and I think welfare. Also what would my mom do about the taxes.
Firstly: Guardianship transfer is not a hard court procedure and it may be done Pro se / it is a Latin phrase meaning "on one's own behalf". No lawyers are needed/
Secondly-A guardianship designation will allow your friend's parents to access services on behalf of you that without such a designation might prove impossible./education,health,benefits,etc/
Thirdly- if a custody/guardianship transfer is allowed your mother will lose only your part of welfare , food stamps,tax relieves /if any/.

Guardianship does not sever your mother's rights and responsibilities.
If it is not done legally there is a possibility CPS to be involved and your mother may lose the custody of your sisters,too.

A mutual agreement between your mother and your friend's parents without court approval may lead to unintended consequences.Imagine that a neighbor/teacher or whoever reports it to CPS.Your mother's behavior will be considered as abandonment in the eyes of the law.