AN ACT TO AMEND TITLES 10 AND 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DUTY TO SUPPORT POOR PERSONS.

Family support now covers disabled adult children

Delaware’s family support duty now expressly covers adult children with disabilities who cannot financially support themselves. Responsibility falls first on the spouse, then parents, then children, moving to the next group when the prior group cannot provide support. Relatives in the same group contribute based on their means, subject to existing legal exceptions and expense rules. This gives covered adults access to family support but can add costs for responsible relatives. The law replaces “poor person” with “a person unable to financially support oneself.” It also updates the court’s exclusive original jurisdiction to cover support cases under Title 13, Chapter 5, and Title 31, sections 2830 and 2831.