Illinois - child's legal responsibility to parent - visiting, financial, etc to mother in retirement community

Question

i have been estranged from family for quite a few years. haven't talked to sister in almost six years (a month after moving mom to retirement community) haven't seen/talked to mom since Nov 2003. sister calls and threatens that i have to start visiting and have to buy personal items for mom every other month. do i have legal responsibility to do so?

Answer 1

No you do not.  I took care of my mom in my home for three years (24 hour care) as she had a stroke.  It was never enough.  I haven't seen or spoken with my family for many years.  At my mom's funeral my sister hugged me and whispered in my ear, "This is not about you."  Needless to say, I didn't sit with the immediate family, I sat with my husband and his parents along with all the rest of the people.  After the funeral, my brother-in-law (my husband's brother) called me to tell me he had a letter from a lawyer.  They send a copy of her will to him and they had me written out of the will the June before she died.  My husband said that he got everything out of that family when he got me.  Get caller id, don't answer when she calls.  All my family did when they got together was bad mouth the person who wasn't in the room.  I didn't want to deal with that anymore nor put my kids through that (they didn't even remember my kids names and they were the only neices and nephews).  Don't play their games.  Hold your head high and go on with your life.