71 year old sues her kids for parental support

[Sagacious-T]

http://www.theprovince.com/life/Mother+parental+support+lawsuit+against+delayed/3355437/story.html
http://www.bcfamilylaw.ca/tag/anderson-parental-support/



She abandoned them when they were 15, now she wants support.

Canada has a law from the depression era which requires kids to support their parents

lol

[Wild Armor]

She abandoned them when they were 15, now she wants support.
Canada has a law from the depression era which requires kids to support their parents

lol

If that law existed down here in the US, I woudln't be surprised if my mother tried the same with me.
Bitter and miserable.

[CastNuri]

I can see how it'd be a useful law to have around but I'm guessing there should be some existing pre-conditions. Like proof of parental support till adult age (in form of school fee receipts, bank transfer receipts, etc) or something.

[FlamingR1ft]

All I know about that law is from what I just read in those articles. However I see absolutely no basis for something so stupid. It's a parents responsibility to provide for their child (considering they're the ones who brought them into the world) and at no stage in their life should a child have to pay their parents back for the basic necessities of life they were given as the grew up.

[Dice]

All I know about that law is from what I just read in those articles. However I see absolutely no basis for something so stupid. It's a parents responsibility to provide for their child (considering they're the ones who brought them into the world) and at no stage in their life should a child have to pay their parents back for the basic necessities of life they were given as the grew up.

I agree,I'm hoping the law isn't this stupid to *not* bend the rules.
This is abuse of the law, and a perfect example of how to be immoral.

Not only are her demands high, but what reason could there possibly be to be in her favor?? 
This is baffling...

[CastNuri]

It's a parents responsibility to provide for their child (considering they're the ones who brought them into the world) and at no stage in their life should a child have to pay their parents back for the basic necessities of life they were given as the grew up.

Maybe it's just the society I was brought up in, but it seems really immoral to me when people think that they don't have to "pay back" what their parents provided them. Naturally, it is their responsibility to provide for their children but I also think it's a child's responsibility to see that their parents live comfortably in their old age (if they can't ensure it themselves).

Maybe not so much in this case because of the kind of parent she was. I hope it'll make officials consider reviewing the law or something.

[Marshmallow]

All I know about that law is from what I just read in those articles. However I see absolutely no basis for something so stupid. It's a parents responsibility to provide for their child (considering they're the ones who brought them into the world) and at no stage in their life should a child have to pay their parents back for the basic necessities of life they were given as the grew up.

However, when the roles are reversed, should someone just leave their elderly parents alone and helpless?

In this case, this woman deserves to rot, but in normal cases, I see it as a matter of reciprocity: a parent cares for a child when a child can't care for itself, then as they both age, the child does the same for the parent. What this is showing me is that while this law might be a good idea, it needs a lot of revamping so terrible parents can't just demand support. If you treat your kids like crap, you deserve the same, if not worse in your old age. If you treat your children well, they should do the same for you.

[CDFN]

All I know about that law is from what I just read in those articles. However I see absolutely no basis for something so stupid. It's a parents responsibility to provide for their child (considering they're the ones who brought them into the world) and at no stage in their life should a child have to pay their parents back for the basic necessities of life they were given as the grew up.

However, when the roles are reversed, should someone just leave their elderly parents alone and helpless?

In this case, this woman deserves to rot, but in normal cases, I see it as a matter of reciprocity: a parent cares for a child when a child can't care for itself, then as they both age, the child does the same for the parent. What this is showing me is that while this law might be a good idea, it needs a lot of revamping so terrible parents can't just demand support. If you treat your kids like crap, you deserve the same, if not worse in your old age. If you treat your children well, they should do the same for you.

[FlamingR1ft]

I agree that children should be looking after their parents in their old age, but not because some law tells them to. I think any child brought up well by their parents would want to help in some way. But I certainly don't think it should be a legal issue, it's simply a moral one.

[Ashtrot]

In many Eastern countries it is a legal issue. It only seems preposterous to us because we operate from the viewpoint of Western law.

[Prime Mover]

Well, compared to most of the world, the west sort of forsakes our elderly. In most cultures, the elderly are the most respected members of society, and all younger people are required to see to their needs first. We have more stigmas against aging and the elderly than most of the world too.

And look at it this way, if a mother were to abandon her child at 8 years old, that would be considered neglect, and be a criminal offense. Why? Because it's commonly excepted that an 8 year old can not fully care for themselves, and it is the parent's responsibility to care for them. At age 80, most elderly people can't fully care for themselves alone, so why shouldn't we require the same thing? On top of that, they were the ones who spent so much time, energy and money caring for their children. So it's really doesn't seem that unreasonable to have a law that requires offspring to care for their elderly parents, just the way the law requires parents to care for their children.

[Sagacious-T]

But the kid then has to take care of parents and their own children potentially

kids arent retirement investments. you cant choose to be taken care of when you're a child. If you want to be taken care of later in life you need to give the child the right morals and motivaiton to do so

[Starmongoose]

Torn on the issue. I have a great relationship with my parents, and of course I would look after them when they are old. To the best of my own ability anyway. Thing is, my parents are split up, and have new partners. That would be two separate drains on income for me, not to mention the age gap between my parents and myself is more narrow than I care to admit on here, so I would be an old man as well.

Hopefully my parents would be able to have the presence of mind to make sure they have at least the basics prepared for themselves when they reach an old age, thus leaving me to supplement their income so they can continue getting the pleasures in life without myself suffering to harshly because of that. 

[CastNuri]

I guess another contributing factor to the West vs East parent issue is that in many Asian countries (discounting maybe China?), couples are likely to have more than one or two children. Especially in the the rural areas. Sure, a lot of children might be a bit of a burden to support at first-- but it also means that the parents will have several adults to help take care of them in their twilight years. It's just part of life to take care of your own children as well as your parents; not an 'added' strain. Besides... how many developing countries have government nursing homes for the elderly? I know that in Malaysia, typically: it's either your children take care of you, you return to your kampung (if you have one) or you continue to work 'til your grave.

I can see how that thinking might be unfair in a single-child situation, though. :-/

[insertnamehere]

i agree with that guy on the right
*almost facepalm*