Towery v. Towery

Darrell Hickman, Justice.

The general rule is that once a child reaches majority and is physically and mentally normal, the legal duty of the parents to support that child ceases. The question in this case is whether that duty can be reimposed later if the adult child becomes disabled and needs support. The answer is that the law imposes no such duty regardless of what the moral obligation may be. The facts in this case are largely undisputed.

Timothy Dewitt Towery was 17 when his parents divorced in August, 1980. The Towerys had two other grown children and no provision for their care and…