Qualified lawyer, 41, fails in ‘unprecedented’ court bid to force his wealthy parents to keep financially supporting him after ‘nurturing his dependency on them’ for decades
- The man, who has mental health issues, said he was unemployed and vulnerable
- 41-year-old told family court his parents had ‘nurtured his dependency’ on them
- He claimed parents had ‘significantly reduced’ financial support over the years
- A judge has thrown out the man’s case, which he described as ‘most unusual’
A qualified lawyer has failed in an ‘unprecedented’ bid to force his wealthy parents to keep supporting him.
The man, a trained solicitor who has mental health disabilities and is currently unemployed, said his parents had ‘nurtured his dependency’ on them and that he was vulnerable.
The 41-year-old from London said his parents had recently ‘significantly reduced’ the financial support they had given down the years after his relationship with them deteriorated.
The man, who has not been identified, wanted a judge to rule they should continue to support him.
Lawyers representing the man argued that a judge had powers to order parents to provide support and cited laws relating to marriage and children.
His parents said the claim should be dismissed.
A trained solicitor has failed in a bid to force his wealthy parents to keep supporting him, in a case described as ‘most unusual’ by a judge. Library image of a wallet with money in it
Sir James Munby ruled against the man after considering arguments at a remote family court hearing.
He ruled that the man had ‘no case’.
The judge, who outlined detail of the case in a ruling published online on Wednesday, described the claim as ‘most unusual’ and, as far as he knew, ‘unprecedented’.
Sir James has not named the people involved, but said the man lived in London and his parents in Dubai.
‘His parents have supported him financially down the years and continue, to some extent, to do so,’ said Sir James in his ruling.
‘They have permitted him to live in a flat in central London, of which they are the registered proprietors, and in relation to which they have until recently been paying the utility bills.
‘Of late… the relationship between the applicant and his parents – in particular, it would appear, his father – has deteriorated and the financial support they are prepared to offer has significantly reduced.
‘He characterises their stance as seemingly being that, having in fact – whether wittingly or unwittingly – nurtured his dependency on them for the last 20 years or so – with the consequence that he is, so it is said, now completely dependent on them – they now seek to cast that dependency on to the state.’
The judge said he was satisfied the man had ‘no case’ and added: ‘His applications should be summarily dismissed.’