Article on Virginia Filial Responsibility Law

Sylvia Macon recently published an Article entitled, Grow Up Virginia: Time to Change Our Filial Responsibility Law, 51 U. Rich. L. Rev. 265 (2016). Provided below is an abstract of the Article:

On its face, the Virginia law seems laudable, requiring private payment by family members for costs that would otherwise be incurred by the state. However, upon closer examination, significant issues regarding implementation and fairness arise. The Virginia statute has not lain dormant, but rather has been implemented without report. Other states have recognized the futility of filial responsibility laws and have preempted such abuse by repealing their laws. Virginia should act now to either repeal the statute or amend it to ensure its citizens avoid inequitable outcomes like the defendant in Pittas.

This comment discusses the background and development of filial responsibility laws in England, the United States, and Virginia in Part I. Part II explains the purpose behind implementation of such laws while Part III discusses the problems enforcing the filial responsibility law may cause. Lastly, Part IV explains why past reasons for keeping the law are no longer valid.