Virginia
For Virginia, statute is § 20-88; who owes the duty is the joint and several duty of all persons eighteen years of age or over, of sufficient earning capacity or income, after reasonably providing for his or her own immediate family, to assist in providing for the support and maintenance of his or her mother or father; condition on the parent is he or she being then and there in necessitous circumstances; ability-to-pay qualifier is of sufficient earning capacity or income, after reasonably providing for his or her own immediate family; civil or criminal is both, recorded from its source on 2026-08-31.
- State
- Virginia our reading
- Statute
- § 20-88 verified
- Who owes the duty
- the joint and several duty of all persons eighteen years of age or over, of sufficient earning capacity or income, after reasonably providing for his or her own immediate family, to assist in providing for the support and maintenance of his or her mother or father verified
- Condition on the parent
- he or she being then and there in necessitous circumstances verified
- Ability-to-pay qualifier
- of sufficient earning capacity or income, after reasonably providing for his or her own immediate family verified
- Civil or criminal
- both our reading
- Penalty
- shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500 or imprisonment in jail for a period not exceeding twelve months or both verified
- Who may bring the action
- upon the complaint of any party or on its own motion, compel contribution by that person to any person or authority which has theretofore contributed to the support or maintenance of the parent or parents verified
- Defences in the statute
- This section shall not apply if there is substantial evidence of desertion, neglect, abuse or willful failure to support any such child by the father or mother, as the case may be, prior to the child's emancipation or, except as provided hereafter in this section, if a parent is otherwise eligible for and is receiving public assistance or services under a federal or state program. verified
- Limited to public assistance cases
- extends beyond public charge 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
§ 20-88. Support of parents by children. It shall be the joint and several duty of all persons eighteen years of age or over, of sufficient earning capacity or income, after reasonably providing for his or her own immediate family, to assist in providing for the support and maintenance of his or her mother or father, he or she being then and there in necessitous circumstances. If there be more than one person bound to support the same parent or parents, the persons so bound to support shall jointly and severally share equitably in the discharge of such duty.
— law.lis.virginia.gov, 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
§ 20-88. Support of parents by children. It shall be the joint and several duty of all persons eighteen years of age or over, of sufficient earning capacity or income, after reasonably providing for his or her own immediate family, to assist in providing for the support and maintenance of his or her mother or father, he or she being then and there in necessitous circumstances.
Condition on the parent
to assist in providing for the support and maintenance of his or her mother or father, he or she being then and there in necessitous circumstances.
Ability-to-pay qualifier
It shall be the joint and several duty of all persons eighteen years of age or over, of sufficient earning capacity or income, after reasonably providing for his or her own immediate family, to assist in providing for the support and maintenance of his or her mother or father
Civil or criminal
the court having jurisdiction shall have the power to determine and order the payment, by such person or persons so bound to support, of that amount for support and maintenance which to the court may seem just. Where the court ascertains that any person has failed to render his or her proper share in such support and maintenance it may, upon the complaint of any party or on its own motion, compel contribution by that person to any person or authority which has theretofore contributed to the support or maintenance of the parent or parents.
Penalty
Any person violating the provisions of an order entered pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500 or imprisonment in jail for a period not exceeding twelve months or both.
Who may bring the action and Limited to public assistance cases
Where the court ascertains that any person has failed to render his or her proper share in such support and maintenance it may, upon the complaint of any party or on its own motion, compel contribution by that person to any person or authority which has theretofore contributed to the support or maintenance of the parent or parents.
Defences in the statute
This section shall not apply if there is substantial evidence of desertion, neglect, abuse or willful failure to support any such child by the father or mother, as the case may be, prior to the child's emancipation or, except as provided hereafter in this section, if a parent is otherwise eligible for and is receiving public assistance or services under a federal or state program.
— all from law.lis.virginia.gov, retrieved 2026-08-31
Source
- law.lis.virginia.govhttps://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title20/chapter5/section20-88/