Welcome to 18 and the Law, a website that provides valuable legal information for teens and young adults. When you turn 18 years old, you are now a "legal" adult. You can now vote, make contracts, and be registered for Selective Service. But you will also be treated as an adult in court. So you need to understand, respect, and obey the law. Below you will find some of the many laws/legal issues that you need to understand. It is important to remember that if you find yourself in trouble there is help available. You are not alone.
Marla
Marla wanted to show her friends the photos of the wild high school graduation party she attended, so she posted them, including one where she was drinking a beer, on her social networking site profile. The athletic director at her old high school where she helps coach the cheerleaders saw the photo and fired her, saying that Marla's underage drinking was a bad example for the cheerleading squad.Jason
Jason's girlfriend recently broke up with him. He got so mad that he started making up lies about his ex to his friends and other kids in school. The principal of his high school just informed Jason and his parents that he has violated the school's sexual harassment policy.Lauren
Lauren is a freshman in college, and she got her first credit card during the summer. The card had a low introductory interest rate, but Lauren was late paying her bill one month and her interest rate went up almost 20%. Now she can only afford to pay the interest on the card.Andy
Andy found a great apartment to rent in the city during the school year. He signed a one-year lease, but he planned on renting it to some friends in the summer when he went back home. He didn't read the lease closely, which stated that you cannot sublet your apartment. Now he is stuck paying for an apartment that he isn't living in.Danielle
Danielle is 19. She accepted a ride home from a friend who was at the same party. Her friend got pulled over by police and arrested for drunk driving. Although Danielle had only one drink at the party, she was also arrested and lost her driver's license for six months.Amber
Amber purchased a cell phone and signed a two-year service contract. Six months later she wanted a new phone which is carried by a different cell phone provider. To be able to afford the new cell phone, she had to cancel her existing service. What she didn't know is that she had to pay an early termination fee of $200.Brad
Brad didn't pay much attention to the "as is" sign on the used Volvo he bought from a used car dealer. When the car's transmission blew up a few weeks later, he asked the dealer for his money back. The dealer said he had sold the car "as is," which means it has no warranty.Sean
Sean, like many teenagers going to college, needed to get a student loan. In order to get a federal student loan, he had to register with the Selective Service Administration. Even though there is no draft, when boys turn 18, they need to register.Kim
Kim was excited to turn 18 years old because she can vote and sign contracts such as an apartment lease. She, has learned that she will also be considered a legal adult in the eyes of the law.
