Is there a general parental obligation to support an adult child under the Divorce Act?

Ontario, Canada


The following excerpt is from Deroo v. Szucsko, 2009 CanLII 65800 (ON SC):

Absent a statutory basis, there is no general parental obligation to support an adult child: Harrington v. Harrington, supra, at p. 162. Voluntarily providing such a child with a place to sleep, food and myriad other material things simply because one parent wants to do so (and has the financial ability) does not create a positive entitlement to support by the other spouse under the Divorce Act. As Morden J.A. points out at p. 159, it is the inability “to withdraw from his or her parents’ charge and [meeting] the other conditions of the provision” that imposes the obligation.

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