Gwen I second your post. My first bank account was joint w/my mom because I was a minor. Fortunately, I have mother who is not a thief and I got my own account when I could. It was a pain in the ass to close because it was a joint account.

Newsflash, THEY chose to have kids, you did NOT chose to be born. Should you be gratefull if they raised you well? Sure. Does this entitle to them claiming anything you own no matter when (wedding soon)? Hell no!

As a father I just want to say: if you think that's reasonable, then please don't have children.

Why should the OP pay for her father's shitty mistakes?

That's a ridiculous answer. It's not like Dad came to him and asked to borrow it. He took it and didn't tell him until after the fact. That's slimy, no matter how you slice it. And if you're planning having kids with the expectation that they pay you back one day, do them and the world a favor, and get yourself spayed or neutered immediately!

This, good sir, is what we call theft. Just because the jackass raised the OP does not entitle him to the OP's money/possessions. (It works the other way too. Once the parents' legal obligation to their offspring ceases at the age of majourity, kids really are not entitled to anything from their parents.)

To paraphrase Kahlil Gibran: "Our children are not our children. They are the sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself. They come through us, but they are not from us; and though they are with us, they do not belong to us. " I think this wholeheartedly applies here.

first of all stealing 38k before your child's wedding is unforgivable who cares if they raised you he had mo right to do that ... and if it were me I'd sue his ass not caring if he was family it's still stealing and it's still illegal

#25 my thoughts exactly. :)

THIS! I still think you should press charges, but if not, keep reminding him he owes you 38k. Maybe cut off all ties till he does. I don't think he ever will though... someone who can get into debt by gambling is too stupid to appreciate family obligations anyways.

Because that makes it better, right? =/ OP, FYL

I believe it was explained above. Simply put, the bank account was likely opened whilst the OP was a minor. Most people either do not realise the bank doesn't immediately take the parents' names off the account when the minor becomes an adult, or trust their parents enough to not steal their money. Don't know how banking works in England, but it makes sense to require an adult on the account as, in the US, children are legally not considered capable of entering into a business contract of any sort.

Actually that's a lie, anyone can enter into most forms of contracts at any time. Although I am English so I'm not sure for America, but here a child can do pretty much most things without an adult, it's just a tad more complicated. I'm fairly certain what you said though was the case, but again I am rather surprised the OP hasn't changed his bank account once since becoming an adult, (With that amount of money any logical person would have put it into a savings account, opposed to just a normal transaction account which people usually get first.) I mean, for example, I bank with three separate places, I know people who have an account with literally every variation of bank and building society found on a typical highstreet, it's odd that someone would go all this way and only have the one account.

Actually it does happen over here too, it's not just an American thing. My mum opened my bank account when i was a kid and i couldn't take money out without her. When she left i wasn't an adult yet, i had to get her to come and see me just to change the name over when i was 18. Kind of glad that it got changed, she's an evil bitch and this sounds like the kind of thing she'd do! Bad times OP

In America children can enter into contracts. However, they can also disaffirm the contract at anytime (which means back out of) and get all their money and/or property back in the original condition and they only need to make restoration. I'll use the following example to better illustrate: Jimmy, who's 16, buys a car and crashes it a year later when he's 17. Jimmy can go back to the dealer and say he wants to disaffirm the contract and will get all his money back. The only thing he has to do is give back the wrecked car.

In America there are two people who can not legally enter a contract. Minors and mentally disadvantaged. So, no, children cannot enter into contracts, therefore they cannot open their own bank accounts.