Partnership Status and Parental Support : Unequal Access for Adult Children in Europe

This paper examines how adult children's partnership history shapes their access to parental support across Europe. Using SHARE Wave 9 data from 16 countries, I analyse financial transfers, practical help, and emotional closeness. Drawing on life course theory, I argue that partnership transitions signal need visibly, while chronic states does not. Results show that unpartnered adult children are not a homogeneous group, support varies by partnership history. These patterns hold across countries and robustness checks, suggesting that family safety nets have systematic blind spots.