Do you have to support your parents?

Dear Liz: Regarding the 30-year-old who complained about supporting his or her parents (“Parents expect another bailout from son“), you should have discussed state laws that require an adult child to support his or her indigent parents. California’s law says that every adult child who, having the ability so to do, fails to provide necessary food, clothing, shelter or medical attendance for an indigent parent, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Answer: According to ElderLawAnswers.com, a site that provides information for consumers and elder-law attorneys, 30 states have laws making adult children responsible for their parents if the parents can’t afford to take care of themselves. You can find more information and a link to the state statutes in the resources section of the website.

These laws are rarely enforced, and the 30-year-old wasn’t proposing letting his parents starve or go homeless. His parents aren’t indigent; they’re struggling to pay for a lifestyle they can no longer afford and perhaps never could.

No TweetBacks yet. (Be the first to Tweet this post)