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DanShepy
Feb 13, 2013, 02:52 PM
My guardians who adopted me at age 2 kicked me out of the house last year, I am really struggling financially and the only money I have is in my savings account, which is in the control of my guardians. How can I get my "parents" removed as my guardians? Please help

DanShepy
Feb 13, 2013, 02:54 PM
I live in the UK

Curlyben
Feb 13, 2013, 02:58 PM
How old are you ?

DanShepy
Feb 13, 2013, 02:59 PM
How old are you ?

I am 17.

joypulv
Feb 13, 2013, 03:05 PM
They aren't your guardians if they adopted you. They are your legal parents.
(Or they didn't adopt you, and are just your guardians.)
Do you know for sure which it is?
Where did the money come from?

DanShepy
Feb 13, 2013, 03:11 PM
They aren't your guardians if they adopted you. They are your legal parents.
(Or they didn't adopt you, and are just your guardians.)
Do you know for sure which it is?
Where did the money come from?

They definitely adopted me and the money is all saved up from my barmitzvah and birthday presents that have been put into a savings account.

joypulv
Feb 13, 2013, 03:48 PM
The age of majority in the UK is 18. On your 18th birthday, you should be able to go to the bank and do what you want with the money. How exactly is the account in the control of your parents? (Rules about such bank accounts might be different where I am in the US.)
I see no reason why you can't ask a bank officer now what to do when you turn 18. When is your B-day?

ScottGem
Feb 13, 2013, 03:57 PM
Another point is that since you are a minor they still may be responsible for supporting you. I would see if you can find a solicitor to give you a consultation.

DanShepy
Feb 13, 2013, 04:47 PM
I do not turn 18 until the 18th of may and since I've been living by myself it has been a struggle, I have had to go without food and no shelter at times while my money just sits in the bank, they tell me as my guardians they have full control over the money until I'm 18. Doesn't the law say a guardian has to provide day to day help? They don't meet the criteria of a guardian and I do not want them having control over anything in my life. I know that my "mum" has had meetings with social workers to try and find out ways she can avoid giving me the money when I am 18.

joypulv
Feb 13, 2013, 05:16 PM
They are your parents, much as you don't like that word. But I'll try not to dwell on that.
Yes, they are financially and legally responsible for you until May 18. But there are ever-changing laws about incorrigible teens who disrupt the home with violence, threats, drugs, other illegal activity, so it gets complicated. You would have to be at home. They don't have to support you from afar.
I can't imagine social services and your parents figuring out a way to stop you from having your money. For one thing, you would have to be so helpless that you are being scraped up off the sidewalk every week and put in hospitals or jail. In other words, they have to prove that you are incompetent. You are sort of helpless because you aren't going to get work with no school and the more you live on the streets and in shelters, the more difficult it gets to break out of that life. It's probably true that you will run through all your money so fast you won't know what hit you, but that's your business. Your parents think that because they supported you and gave you things and had a bar mitzvah that they are entitled to some further control over your money, but they aren't. When they adopted you, they took the risk that you might not be the ideal child.
Talk to the bank! If there is any sign of resistance, start looking for a pro bono lawyer. But you may have to pay for one.

AK lawyer
Feb 13, 2013, 06:00 PM
In addition to being OP's adoptive parents, they apparently are in charge of some sort of a trust over OP's money. One would need to examine the trust instrument or court order creating the "guardianship" to determine whether the guardians are correctly carrying out their fiduciary responsibilities.

DanShepy
Feb 14, 2013, 04:56 PM
I have qualifications from school and I have a lot of apprenticeships lined up, but the hostel I lived in has been shut down and people have all been relocated and luckily I am able to stay with a friends family for the time being. My parents have not told me any information about the account and I do not even know which bank it is. If I bring up the topic they refuse to talk about it and just start ignoring me. I do not do drugs or drink and I just want to get my life back on track. Im not going to run through the money, I'm going to use it to rent a place with my friend and then get an apprenticeship and sort my life out. I can't do this because my mum won't even give me any of my money. Today I contracted a stomach bug and asked my mum to send me 10 pounds so I can get medication from the pharmacy and she refused point blank to send me anything. I do not trust her with my money as she has told me she can spend it whenever she wants and she has been meeting social workers trying to figure out how to not give me my savings. I live by myself and am forced to make all the choices in my life by myself now with no help from them, financially or emotionally, so they should not have any rights over my assets.

tickle
Feb 14, 2013, 05:27 PM
I have qualifications from school and i have a lot of apprenticeships lined up, but the hostel i lived in has been shut down and people have all been relocated and luckily i am able to stay with a friends family for the time being. my parents have not told me any information about the account and i do not even know which bank it is. If i bring up the topic they refuse to talk about it and just start ignoring me. I do not do drugs or drink and i just want to get my life back on track. Im not going to run through the money, im going to use it to rent a place with my friend and then get an apprenticeship and sort my life out. I can't do this because my mum wont even give me any of my money. Today i contracted a stomach bug and asked my mum to send me 10 pounds so i can get medication from the pharmacy and she refused point blank to send me anything. I do not trust her with my money as she has told me she can spend it whenever she wants and she has been meeting social workers trying to figure out how to not give me my savings. I live by myself and am forced to make all the choices in my life by myself now with no help from them, financially or emotionally, so they should not have any rights over my assets.
I am sorry, but you are leaving out critical information here and I don't know why. Possibly we don't have the whole picture.

There is absolutely no reason why you can't go to a solicitor, or even social services to get help.

tickle
Feb 14, 2013, 05:28 PM
Why did they 'kick you out'?

joypulv
Feb 14, 2013, 07:00 PM
Technically they can't kick you out - I believe, in the UK, although I'm not absolutely positive. You would have had to hurt or threatened one or both of them or brought drugs in the house or done some similar.
So GO HOME and refuse to leave and demand to see your bank account.

tickle
Feb 15, 2013, 05:18 AM
Yes, I totally agree with joy, also if this is a trust fund waiting to happen, then there must be a solicitor in the wings holding the paper work. At 18 I am sure the OP knows who he is and can be readily accessed by her to find out the particulars, and possibly to bring this treatment to his attention, if this treatment exists for a valid reason of course.

DanShepy
Feb 15, 2013, 09:45 AM
In the UK children can get kicked out of the house simply by not being allowed back in. If you want information then ask for it? I got kicked out because my brother attacked me and then my parents told me not to come back. They would not let me back in and told the social workers that I "Fell into a computer" which caused my injuries and if I had not gone to college the next day and had a picture taken of my massive swollen eye and nose then I would still be on the streets. I can't go home since my hostel shut down and I am now being forced to live with my mate and his family half way across the country since I have nowhere else to go. I have no clue who has the papers to the bank account and my parents will not answer any texts or pick up the phone to me. Going home is not an option, if I did they would call the police and like I even want to go back. I just want to get the money that is in my name and get my life back on track after they messed it up.

joypulv
Feb 15, 2013, 12:47 PM
'In the UK children can get kicked out of the house simply by not being allowed back in.'

I don't believe that. First of all there are 3 legal systems in the UK and you haven't said where you live. Second, 'children' goes all the way to birth, so obviously there is a cut off age, and I just can't find it yet. All I can find is the age of majority is 18 in England and N Ireland but 16 in Scotland. In general, being under 18 means a parent MUST support you. So please tell us the reference to law that says parents can kick a child out of the house. If you want to be a snippy about people trying to help for free, then fine. But it's not going to get your money any faster.

tickle
Feb 15, 2013, 12:58 PM
{"why": "Not helpful at all and inaccurate", "source": "Me"}

How sweet, a reddie from you, DanShepy, however,'you' being the 'source' saying my information is not accurate doesn't fly here. Produce 'source' that says it isn't.

I have no idea why any information from the US would help you obtain your money from your parents. We can't pull that information out of a hat and magically give you an opportunity to achieve it. So absolutely any information here would not assist you in that regard.

Yes, and do agree with joy again, produce some legitimate information, and again, a bad attitude doesn't count here and will get you no where fast.

DanShepy
Feb 16, 2013, 05:36 AM
I live in London and my parents have gone to social workers and gone to great lengths to make sure that I cannot come home and as I said, it is not my interest to return home. And I don't have a bad attitude,but I have already stated that I have no idea who is in charge of the bank account and stating stuff like "then there must be a solicitor in the wings holding the paper work. At 18 I am sure the OP knows who he is and can be readily accessed by her to find out the particulars" is inaccurate and unhelpful as I have mentioned that my parents are withholding all information about my own savings account from me. As I said earlier, If you want information then ask for it?

DanShepy
Feb 16, 2013, 05:48 AM
I have had counselling with my parents briefly and that did not help, but it ended up with the "mediator" (a social worker who tries) to repair families deciding that it would be in both mine and my parents best interests if I was moved to a hostel in a very poor area of London. I then got relocated to a Hostel one town away from my old home which has now shut down so I am living with my friends family halfway across the country since they tried to relocate me very far away from everyone and everything I know. I did not want to lose all my friends and start my life again in a new area.

joypulv
Feb 16, 2013, 05:48 AM
If you don't even know what bank the money is in, then you don't have many options. One is to find free legal aid. It means either going to legal aid groups, most of whom only represent defendants (you are the plaintiff), law schools, or large firms that have a certain amount of time set aside for pro bono work. It's possible that a legal aid group will help you because you are still a minor who has been kicked out.

You're in London now, or your parents?

tickle
Feb 16, 2013, 05:56 AM
What information could we possibly ask for. You have supposedly given us all that you have to offer, but I re-itterate, what can we possibly do to help you other then advice and this is going around in circles, DanShepy because of it. It isn't like we can jump on a plane, embark where you are and help you get your money.

DanShepy
Feb 16, 2013, 07:52 AM
I am asking you lot for help, that is the purpose of this website, you can't tell me that I am witholding crucial information and then say "What information could we possibly ask for" & I'm in bradford right now, my parents are in London

GV70
Feb 16, 2013, 12:13 PM
You may call 020 7092 3960 /Mon, Wed and Fri between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm/. It is pro bono lawyers service.
Or 01274 306617
31 Manor Row Bradford /Monday to Friday
10am - 2pm./ Pro bono service in Bradford.
They may answer your questions according to laws in England.

Curlyben
Feb 16, 2013, 01:41 PM
I'm sorry to say, but the assistance you require is above what this site can realistically offer.
You would be better served talking with Citizens Advice and engaging a specialised solicitor in this area.

ScottGem
Feb 16, 2013, 01:50 PM
Your original question was how to get your parents removed as your guardians. The only way to do that is through a court. So the only advice we can give is to get a solicitor and take them to court.

joypulv
Feb 16, 2013, 02:05 PM
'I live in London'
An example of just how frustrating this information from you is, and how sparse.
I asked where you live and you said you live in London. Which you don't.
We might have done all sorts of research about where to go in London.
We didn't know about the social worker, and we still don't know if 'your' money is even your money yet, or even when you turn 18 or not. It took a while to find out that you know nothing at all about it. I don't know how we are expected to know, and yet you have said twice now 'just ask!'
I guess we now know all we are going to know, and someone has given you some good concrete names and numbers.