Code of Virginia § 20-88.50. Duties of support enforcement agency.
434 words·~2 min read·
/va/title-20/chapter-5-3/20-88-50A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
A. A support enforcement agency of the Commonwealth, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter.
B. In a proceeding under this chapter, a support enforcement agency of the Commonwealth that is providing services to the petitioner shall:
1. Take all steps necessary to enable an appropriate tribunal of the Commonwealth, another state, or a foreign country to obtain jurisdiction over the respondent;
2. Request an appropriate tribunal to set a date, time, and place for a hearing;
3. Make a reasonable effort to obtain all relevant information, including information as to income and property of the parties;
4. Within two days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receipt of a written notice in a record from an initiating, responding, or registering tribunal, send a copy of the notice to the petitioner;
5. Within two days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receipt of a written communication in a record from the respondent or the respondent's attorney, send a copy of the communication to the petitioner; and
6. Notify the petitioner if jurisdiction over the respondent cannot be obtained.
C. A support enforcement agency of the Commonwealth that requests registration of a child support order in the Commonwealth for enforcement or for modification shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that:
1. The order to be registered is the controlling order; or
2. If two or more child support orders exist and the identity of the controlling order has not been determined, a request for such a determination is made in a tribunal having jurisdiction to do so.
D. A support enforcement agency of the Commonwealth that requests registration and enforcement of a support order, arrears, or judgment stated in a foreign currency shall convert the amounts stated in the foreign currency into the equivalent amounts in U.S. dollars under the applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported.
E. A support enforcement agency of the Commonwealth shall issue or request a tribunal of the Commonwealth to issue a child support order and an income-withholding order that redirects payment of current support, arrears, and interest to a support enforcement agency of the Commonwealth if requested to do so by a support enforcement agency of another state pursuant to § 20-88.62 .
F. This chapter does not create a relationship of attorney and client or other fiduciary relationship between a support enforcement agency or the attorney for the agency and the individual being assisted by the agency.
1994, c. 673 ; 1997, cc. 797 , 897 ; 2005, c. 754 ; 2015, c. 727 .