Abstract
The United States, deeply influenced by early sources such as Judeo-Christian theology, as well as Eastern, Roman, and British law, enacted statutes requiring children to provide support for the indigent elderly. The rationale for these laws was based mainly on the filial relationship. between parent and child. However, due to the enactment of several welfare statutes following the 1950s, many states have repealed filial responsibility statutes or do not enforce them, despite continual support from the judiciary and critics who are concemed with the stability of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. The enfocement of such statutes would be beneficial to our society and provide desperateIy needed relief for our strained public treasury. Legislatures should give serious consideration to their reinstatement.
Recommended Citation
Lundberg, Michael
(2009)
"Our Parents' Keepers: The Current Status of American Filial Responsibility Laws,"
Utah Law Review: Vol. 2009:
No.
2, Article 28.
Available at:
https://dc.law.utah.edu/ulr/vol2009/iss2/28