I am married for 21 years issueless. All these years my MIL was staying with my SIL as her husband was in abroad and doing all work at home. My husband was the only person who met all her expenses including medical though MIL has got two sons and two daughters. We did not mind as we thought it was our duty and we both are earning. Now MIL is staying with me stating it is the responsibility of a son to take care. She will not do any work and will not cooperate in the house and now my husband is jobless the other son and two sister in laws are not bothered. Now what to do? Are there any legal points so that all the four should share and keep her. Kindly clarify.
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Since you and your husband had financial responsible for 21 years, and one SIL had care responsibility, it's only fair that the rest of the family step up and accept their own responsibility, especially since your husband is now out of work.
You'll have to be firm on this; make it clear to the noncontributing family members that you can't afford to care for your MIL and they need to become involved, or else contribute financially so she can live in AL or IL. I'm sure this isn't going to be easy though.
None of you have to have her in your home.
In some states there are laws that apply if the parent is destitute -- children should not allow their parent to be homeless if they can prevent that. Not all states have such laws, and it really doesn't apply in this situation, where the question is about which children have responsibilities.
I would simply not accept an ungrateful and free-loading MIL in my house. Nope, not happening. I would be supportive of my husband, and I would not object to financially helping the woman, but believe me, she would not live in my house.
You cannot enforce family rules about what the other children should do. There are no civil laws about that. But you certainly can determine who lives in your house.
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