Legal Definitions - relative-responsibility statute

A relative-responsibility statute is a law that requires adult children to provide basic necessities or support for their elderly parents who are unable to support themselves financially.

• In some states in the United States, such as California and New York, there are laws that require adult children to financially support their elderly parents if they are unable to support themselves.
• In China, the Law of Protection of Rights and Interests of the Elderly requires adult children to visit their elderly parents regularly and provide them with emotional and financial support.

These examples illustrate how relative-responsibility statutes work in different countries. In the United States, adult children may be legally obligated to provide financial support for their elderly parents if they are unable to support themselves. In China, adult children are required by law to visit their elderly parents and provide them with emotional and financial support.