Abstract
Family responsibility and support laws have a long and interesting history. When first enacted, policy makers used such laws to declare an official policy that family members should support each other, rather than draw upon public resources. This paper tracks modern developments with filial support laws that purport to obligate adult children, and in some states grandchildren, to assist their parents/grandparents if indigent or needy. Filial support laws that have survived into the 21st century are compared. Although such laws are often similar in wording globally, enforcement practices are quite different. Moreover, although intended to ensure that families support their aged relatives enforcement often means attempting to extract from the poor, money for the poor. In addition, it is argued that such laws do nothing to remedy instances of poor children financially exploiting wealthier parents.