I invited my mother to my home after her husband died. She has lived rent free for 2 years. What remedy do I have to remove her?

Communication is the key. Darn shame everything wasn't laid out before hand. Oh well, water under the bridge now.

I would apologize for not making your desires known then go on to offer 2 options.
1. She can clean and watch the kids for her room and board or
2. She can move out. You can help her find a small apartment that she can afford. Hopefully she'll be cooperative. If not, you may have to start legal proceedings.

Please remember this time when she lived with you and NOT offer to take her in your home again when she gets old and sick.

Yes, you can legally evict her, but it's a process. Read the laws regarding evictions in your state.   When she realizes it's going to cost her more than $400 to live anywhere else, she might be glad to pay you.

Mom obviously moved in with you under the mistaken impression that she would have a mostly free ride. You wanted a Mother’s Helper and a housekeeper. But you didn’t tell her that. Oops. If she knew what you wanted, she might not have moved in.

What you're asking for in rent isn’t that much. How much does she get as her monthly income? If she wasn’t expecting to pay her own way, cook, clean and babysit, I’m certain this came as a shock when you told her after she moved in.

Mom should not be freeloading. She should help pay for food and pitch in for utilities. It is unreasonable for her to think she can live with you for free. But, you should have discussed this with her before she moved in, as well as what her “duties” would be. To spring that on her after she left her home to live with you was not fair to her.

Keep in mind that that if you involve an attorney ( you did post under “elder law”), tell her she has to leave and call it “eviction”, it will cause what could be a permanent rift between you. Your kids will lose a grandma.

Have an adult, calm heart to heart with her. Tell her she has to budget her pension to pay her way. Tell her you’ll help her figure out that budget. Apologize for not making your expectations clear before she moved. If she balks, tell her you’ll be happy to help her apartment hunt.

Tell her that living with you is not a right, but a privilege and that is over with. Ya'll really needed to discuss expectations honestly before the move was made. Too late now, but she does not need to stay there.