Teenager Sues Parents for Financial Support and Loses in Court

By SheSpeaksTeam Mar 05, 2014

Imagine this scenario: Your daughter is about to graduate from high school with honors yet she neglects to do anything helpful in the house and continues to break curfew. You are disgusted with her lack of respect to you and your family. After much aggravation, she moves in with friends and a few months pass without any contact..... until one day when you receive court papers. You next find out she is suing you for financial support to fund her life and education after calling you out as abusive. You love her, but you feel she is no longer your responsibility. You go along with the trial and continue to refuse to pay her college tuition or any living expenses.

In a real life, similar situation, Rachel Canning left her home in Morrisville, New Jersey on November 1st of last year stating physical and mental abuse from her parents. Sean and Elizabeth Canning stopped paying her financial support immediately. However, her private high school is allowing her to remain to complete her senior year and are billing the Cannings. Rachel also has hopes to become a biomedical engineer and wants her college funds reinstated and given to her yet her parents have refused given her lack of contact with them since she left home. Meanwhile, her school fees are building up, in addition to her 12K+ legal fees.

A judge in Morristown has decided that her parents don’t owe her a penny. State Superior Court Judge Peter Bogaard denied those motions but ordered both parties to return to court on April 22nd, when they will present evidence and testimony on the question of whether the Cannings are obligated to financially support their daughter.

Rachel’s friend’s father who is the former Morris County Freeholder is funding the lawsuit. He says he is doing it so that Canning gets the strong education that she deserves.

What would you do in the Cannings’ shoes? Rachel is calling them abusive for laying down strict rules and disclipline and is showing no respect for anything they have done for her. But she is their daughter, their flesh and blood. And she’s only 18!

Let us know in the comments.

Photo source: Associated Press

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Comments

by Momwhodoestoomuch | McClure, PA

Mar 06, 2014

Sure they can release the college funds they have currently saved for her with the stipulation that they can only be used at a state college and that these are the only funds that will be released, what ever the amount is. If she thought her parents were strict just wait until she is out in the real world , not funded by her friend's father. Parents are under no obligation to fund college. It is a privelage that many of us want to provide to our children. And some day she may have children of her own. Let us hope she gets it all paid back. They should also pay any high school fees through Dec 31 of the year she moved out. They presumably take her exemption on their taxes that year.

by MadHatter | Whitestone , NY

Mar 05, 2014

I agree with Mackster's post. Looking at this girls clothes, her life style, the group of friends she hangs out with, no "abused" child would be living the life she is living. its absurd the allegations she is bringing up against her parents. If she wants to continue her education, then she needs to work for it. her parents provided for her ungrateful arse for 17 years. I hope they will interview her sister(s) to see if what this girl says is true. I would literally disown my own child if they did this to me. On the other hand, the girls friends father only heard one side of the story. HER sob story. So i don't blame him for being manipulated into her game. I really hope this spoiled brat loses everything because she brought it on herself. ruined her parents trust and destroyed the love they hand for her when she broke their heart with this lawsuit.

by Mackster | Country Club, MO

Mar 05, 2014

I think the friends father is out of line. If he is so concerned with her education, he should use the money he's paying on her legal fees and fund her college himself. I think it's absurd that any parent be held "legally" responsible for their child whom is of the age of 18 or older. Since when is a child OWED a private education and OWED a college education? Private school and secondary educations are a privilege. Flesh and blood do not equal entitlement to a free ride.