Rachel Canning and her parents’ problems seem like pretty typical (albeit on the upper end of things) 18 year old acting-out-behavior. Suspensions. Drinking. A lousy boyfriend. Parental ultimatum of “break up with your boyfriend, or you’re financially cut off.”
So, she moves out, moves in with a friend, and the friend’s parents pay for an attorney to sue her parents for access to her college fund. (source) There is a lot of commentary on the case, and none of it positive. I’ll reserve judgment on the lawyer who would bring such a case, and even on the frivolity of the legal theories. After all, this is how the common law develops, right?
But, the best analysis is here:
Memo to Rachel Canning: Even if you win your lawsuit, you just screwed yourself. 20 years from now, when a potential employer — or anyone else, for that matter — Googles the name Rachel Canning, they will read all about how you threw a temper tantrum and sued your own parents. When those people read the article above, they will most likely put on you on their “she was crazy then, she is probably still crazy” list of people that they don’t hire, date, befriend or otherwise associate with. (source – comment by Emily Ruman)
Yup.
