(a) A parent is not bound to compensate the other parent, or a relative, for the voluntary support of the parent’s child, without an agreement for compensation.

(b) A parent is not bound to compensate a stranger for the support of a child who has abandoned the parent without just cause.

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Terms Used In California Family Code 3951

  • County: includes city and county. See California Family Code 67
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, or a commonwealth, territory, or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See California Family Code 145
  • Support: refers to a support obligation owing on behalf of a child, spouse, or family, or an amount owing pursuant to Section 17402. See California Family Code 150

(c) Nothing in this section relieves a parent of the obligation to support a child during any period in which the state, county, or other governmental entity provides support for the child.

(Enacted by Stats. 1992, Ch. 162, Sec. 10. Operative January 1, 1994.)