New Jersey
For New Jersey, statute is 44:1-140; who owes the duty is The father and mother of a person under 18 years of age who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance, and the children, and husband or wife, severally and respectively, of a person who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance; condition on the parent is a person who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance; ability-to-pay qualifier is if of sufficient ability; civil or criminal is civil, recorded from its source on 2026-08-31.
- State
- New Jersey our reading
- Statute
- 44:1-140 verified
- Who owes the duty
- The father and mother of a person under 18 years of age who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance, and the children, and husband or wife, severally and respectively, of a person who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance verified
- Condition on the parent
- a person who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance verified
- Ability-to-pay qualifier
- if of sufficient ability verified
- Civil or criminal
- civil our reading
- Who may bring the action
- any county or municipal director of welfare, or by any court of competent jurisdiction upon its own initiative or the information of any person verified
- Defences in the statute
- The provisions of this section shall not apply to any person 55 years of age or over except with regard to his or her spouse, or his or her natural or adopted child under the age of 18 years. verified
- Limited to public assistance cases
- public assistance only our reading
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
44:1-140. Relatives chargeable a. The father and mother of a person under 18 years of age who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance, and the children, and husband or wife, severally and respectively, of a person who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance, shall, if of sufficient ability, at his or their charge and expense, relieve and maintain the poor person or child in such manner as shall be ordered, after due notice and opportunity to be heard, by any county or municipal director of welfare, or by any court of competent jurisdiction upon its own initiative or the information of any person.
— law.justia.com, retrieved 2026-08-31
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
44:1-140. Relatives chargeable a. The father and mother of a person under 18 years of age who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance, and the children, and husband or wife, severally and respectively, of a person who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance, shall, if of sufficient ability, at his or their charge and expense, relieve and maintain the poor person or child
Condition on the parent
the children, and husband or wife, severally and respectively, of a person who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance, shall, if of sufficient ability, at his or their charge and expense, relieve and maintain the poor person or child
Ability-to-pay qualifier
shall, if of sufficient ability, at his or their charge and expense, relieve and maintain the poor person or child in such manner as shall be ordered, after due notice and opportunity to be heard
Civil or criminal
relieve and maintain the poor person or child in such manner as shall be ordered, after due notice and opportunity to be heard, by any county or municipal director of welfare, or by any court of competent jurisdiction upon its own initiative or the information of any person.
Who may bring the action
in such manner as shall be ordered, after due notice and opportunity to be heard, by any county or municipal director of welfare, or by any court of competent jurisdiction upon its own initiative or the information of any person.
Defences in the statute
c. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any person 55 years of age or over except with regard to his or her spouse, or his or her natural or adopted child under the age of 18 years.
Limited to public assistance cases
44:1-140. Relatives chargeable a. The father and mother of a person under 18 years of age who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance, and the children, and husband or wife, severally and respectively, of a person who applies for and is eligible to receive public assistance, shall, if of sufficient ability, at his or their charge and expense, relieve and maintain the poor person or child in such manner as shall be ordered, after due notice and opportunity to be heard, by any county or municipal director of welfare, or by any court of competent jurisdiction upon its own initiative or the information of any person.
— all from law.justia.com, retrieved 2026-08-31
Source
- law.justia.comhttps://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-44/section-44-1-140/