Filial Responsibility In the News

Philly.com published the most recent warning: Children May have to Foot Bill for Indigent Parents' Care. The author writes:

Remember when Mom and Dad bailed you out on that overdue bill?

Now, it may be your turn.

More than half of U.S. states have so-called "filial responsibility" laws that require adult children to support their parents if they become indigent.

For example, under Pennsylvania's 2005 statute, spouses, parents, and children are obligated to care for or financially assist destitute family members.

That means you could be held financially responsible for a parent's nursing-home care, says Marc Jaffe, estate-planning lawyer and partner at Fromhold Jaffe & Adams in Villanova.

"A nursing home will sue an adult child to recover monies the parent didn't pay," Jaffe says.

"It's not used very often. And you are not necessarily responsible for all of that person's debts. However, you might be held responsible for that person's food, shelter, clothing, medical care, and other similar necessities if the person did not have the funds to pay," he notes.

Such lawsuits "may become more common, as the government in general is looking to be less generous with benefits, and if a medical provider doesn't get paid, they may look more toward the family," Jaffe adds.

For the remainder of the article, go here.

Update [July 13, 2016]:  A similar article, "Are You Going to Saddle Your Kids With Your Debt?," can be found here.