Current through Chapter 253 of the 2024 Legislative Session
Section 576B-307 - Duties of support enforcement agency(a) A support enforcement agency of this State, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter.(b) A support enforcement agency of this State that is providing services to the petitioner shall: (1) Take all steps necessary to enable an appropriate tribunal of this State, 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 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 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 this State that requests registration of a child support order in this State for enforcement or for modification shall make reasonable efforts: (1) To ensure that 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, to ensure that a request is made to a tribunal having jurisdiction to make the determination.(d) A support enforcement agency of this State 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 United States dollars under the applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported.(e) A support enforcement agency of this State shall issue or request a tribunal of this State to issue a child support order and an income withholding order that redirect payment of current support, arrears, and interest if requested to do so by a support enforcement agency of another state pursuant to section 576B-319.(f) This chapter does not create or negate 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.Amended by L 2015, c 77,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2015.