Colorado Judicial Branch - Self Help - Obtaining Permission to Terminate a Pregnancy for Women Under Age 18

Obtaining Permission to Terminate a Pregnancy for Women Under Age 18

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Obtaining Permission to Terminate a Pregnancy for Women Under Age 18

Obtaining Permission to Terminate a Pregnancy for Women Under Age 18
These standard instructions are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice about your case. If you choose to represent yourself, you are bound by the same rules and procedures as an attorney.

I am under the age of 18 and pregnant. How can I get an abortion without having to tell my parents?
- 1. Determine whether you meet the requirements.
  - * If you are under 18 years old and you want to get an abortion, the doctor must tell your parents unless:
    
    1. A court has said that you are emancipated (not under the control of your parents);
    
    2. You have been abused or neglected by your parents or guardians. (The doctor is required by law to report this information to law enforcement); or
    
    3. The abortion has to be done right away because of a medical emergency and there is no time to notify your parents.
    
    * If you are under 18 years old, and you are not in one of the categories listed above, follow these instructions if you want to ask the court to get an abortion without the permission of your parents. In order to allow this, the court must decide that notifying your parents about the abortion would not be in your best interest or that you are mature enough to decide whether to have an abortion.
- 2. Identify where to file your paperwork.
  - * You should file your paperwork with the court in the county where you live.
    
    * File your case in district court unless you are filing in Denver County.
    
    * If you file your paperwork in Denver County, you will go to the Denver Juvenile Court.
- 3. Fill out the correct forms.
  - * You will be known as the Petitioner or the Minor.
    
    Download and complete:
    * JDF 11 Petition for Waiver of Parental Notification Requirements
    * JDF 12 Setting Notice
    
    JDF 10 Instructions for Obtaining Judicial Bypass of Parental Notification Requirements gives additional details on how to fill out these forms.
    
    * Enter your name in the space next to where it says Name of Minor in the top part of JDF 11 Petition for Waiver of Parental Notification Requirements and JDF 12 Setting Notice.
    
    * Sign the bottom of the Petition for Waiver of Parental Notification Requirements where it says Signature of Minor. If you have a lawyer helping you, the lawyer will also sign the form.
    
    * Fill out only the top part of the Setting Notice. The court will fill out the rest of the form.
- 4. File your paperwork with the court.
  - * Make a copy of JDF 11 Petition for Waiver of Parental Notification Requirements and JDF 12 Setting Notice, and take your original completed forms to the clerk at the counter in the courthouse. Give the competed forms to the clerk to file your case.
    
    * There is no filing fee required.
- 5. Go to your court hearing.
  - * The court is required to give you a hearing and make a final decision on your case within four calendar days of the day you filed your paperwork.
    
    * The court will fill out JDF 12 Setting Notice with the date and time of your hearing.
    
    * At the hearing, the judge may ask you questions about your maturity and why you think it is not in your best interest to get your parent's or guardian's permission to have the abortion.
    
    * You may bring witnesses to help tell your side of the story.
    
    * If the judge makes a decision in your favor, you will get an Order from the court saying that you are allowed to get an abortion without telling your parents or guardians.
    
    * Show this Order to your doctor when you go to get an abortion so that the doctor knows that he/she is allowed to do the abortion without telling your parents or guardians.