# Connecticut — Filial responsibility laws by state — what each statute actually says about an adult child's liability for a parent's care For Connecticut, statute is Sec. 53-304; who owes the duty is Any person who neglects or refuses to furnish reasonably necessary support to the person's spouse, child under the age of eighteen or parent under the age of sixty-five; condition on the parent is parent under the age of sixty-five; ability-to-pay qualifier is in such amount as the court may find commensurate with the necessities of the case and the ability of such person; civil or criminal is criminal, recorded from its source on 2026-08-31. - **State:** Connecticut _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_ - **Statute:** Sec. 53-304 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_ - **Who owes the duty:** Any person who neglects or refuses to furnish reasonably necessary support to the person's spouse, child under the age of eighteen or parent under the age of sixty-five _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Condition on the parent:** parent under the age of sixty-five _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Ability-to-pay qualifier:** in such amount as the court may find commensurate with the necessities of the case and the ability of such person _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Civil or criminal:** criminal _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_ - **Penalty:** shall be imprisoned not more than one year _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Who may bring the action:** prosecuted before any court of this state in the same manner as if such offense had been committed within the territorial jurisdiction of such court _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Defences in the statute:** unless the person shows to the court before which the trial is had that, owing to physical incapacity or other good cause, the person is unable to furnish such support _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Limited to public assistance cases:** not stated _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_ ## What the source says > Sec. 53-304. Nonsupport. Support orders and agreements. Administration of oaths by family relations counselors and support enforcement officers. (a) Any person who neglects or refuses to furnish reasonably necessary support to the person's spouse, child under the age of eighteen or parent under the age of sixty-five shall be deemed guilty of nonsupport and shall be imprisoned not more than one year, unless the person shows to the court before which the trial is had that, owing to physical incapacity or other good cause, the person is unable to furnish such support. ## Where each value comes from This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it. ### Who owes the duty > Sec. 53-304. Nonsupport. Support orders and agreements. Administration of oaths by family relations counselors and support enforcement officers. (a) Any person who neglects or refuses to furnish reasonably necessary support to the person's spouse, child under the age of eighteen or parent under the age of sixty-five shall be deemed guilty of nonsupport ### Condition on the parent > (a) Any person who neglects or refuses to furnish reasonably necessary support to the person's spouse, child under the age of eighteen or parent under the age of sixty-five shall be deemed guilty of nonsupport and shall be imprisoned not more than one year ### Ability-to-pay qualifier > may order that the person convicted shall pay to the Commissioner of Administrative Services directly or through Support Enforcement Services of the Superior Court, such support, in such amount as the court may find commensurate with the necessities of the case and the ability of such person, for such period as the court shall determine. ### Civil or criminal > shall be deemed guilty of nonsupport and shall be imprisoned not more than one year, unless the person shows to the court before which the trial is had that, owing to physical incapacity or other good cause, the person is unable to furnish such support. ### Penalty > shall be deemed guilty of nonsupport and shall be imprisoned not more than one year, unless the person shows to the court before which the trial is had that, owing to physical incapacity or other good cause, the person is unable to furnish such support. ### Who may bring the action > (b) Any person who violates any provision of this section may be prosecuted before any court of this state in the same manner as if such offense had been committed within the territorial jurisdiction of such court. ### Defences in the statute > shall be deemed guilty of nonsupport and shall be imprisoned not more than one year, unless the person shows to the court before which the trial is had that, owing to physical incapacity or other good cause, the person is unable to furnish such support. ### Limited to public assistance cases > (a) Any person who neglects or refuses to furnish reasonably necessary support to the person's spouse, child under the age of eighteen or parent under the age of sixty-five shall be deemed guilty of nonsupport and shall be imprisoned not more than one year ## Source - https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_946.htm Last verified: 2026-08-31. Review by: 2027-08-31. Part of [Filial responsibility laws by state — what each statute actually says about an adult child's liability for a parent's care](https://referencesource.org/filial-responsibility-laws-by-state/).