Title 9, Family Law

The circuit courts of this state, upon petition from any person who is a brother or sister, regardless of the degree of blood relationship or, if the person is a minor, upon petition by a parent, guardian, or next friend in behalf of the minor, may grant reasonable visitation rig…

(a) For the purposes of this section:(1) “Child” means a minor under eighteen (18) years of age of whom the custodian has control and who is:(A) The grandchild of the petitioner; or(B) The great-grandchild of the petitioner;(2) “Counseling” means individual counseling, group coun…

(a) In order to avoid continuing child custody controversies from involving public school personnel and to avoid disruptions to the educational atmosphere in our public schools, the transfer of a child between the child's custodial parent and noncustodial parent, when both parent…

(a) Any parent of a minor child in a circuit court case may petition the court to order a criminal records check of the other parent of the minor child or other adult members of the household eighteen (18) years of age or older who reside with the parent for custody and visitatio…

(a) The Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts is authorized to establish attorney ad litem programs to represent children in guardianship cases in circuit court when custody is an issue. (b) When a circuit judge determines that the appointment of an attorney ad lite…

(a) For purposes of this section:(1) “Child” means a minor under eighteen (18) years of age who is:(A) The grandchild of the petitioner; or(B) The great-grandchild of the petitioner; and(2) “Petitioner” means any individual who may petition for visitation rights under this sectio…

In an action under this subchapter concerning a person's right to visitation with a minor child, the circuit court may consider the preferences of the child if the child is of a sufficient age and capacity to reason, regardless of chronological age.

(a) For purposes of this section, “drug” means any controlled substance as defined by the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, § 5-64-101 et seq. (b) In a proceeding concerning child custody, child visitation, or the welfare of a child, the court may order drug testing of a party u…

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Armed forces” means:(A) Any regular or reserve component of the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, United States Space Force, or United States Coast Guard; and(B) The National Guard of any …

(a) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Child” means any person under eighteen (18) years of age; and(2) “College” means any public institution of higher education. (1) “Child” means any person under eighteen (18) years of age; and (2) “College” means any public institution of higher…

Refusal by any school district or college official or employee having custody or control of student scholastic records to provide such records to any person entitled to receive a copy under the provisions of this subchapter shall be an unclassified misdemeanor punishable by a fin…

This subchapter shall be known as the “International Child Abduction Prevention Act”.

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Child” means a minor under eighteen (18) years of age who is the subject of a custody or visitation:(A) Matter currently pending before a court; or(B) Order that has been issued by a court;(2) “Court” means any circuit court of competent jurisd…

A custodian or parent may petition or move the court under this subchapter to determine whether one (1) or more of the measures described in § 9-13-406 is necessary to protect a child from the risk of international child abduction.

(1) To determine a matter under this subchapter, the court shall consider:(1) The best interests of the child;(2) The right of a parent for frequent and continuing contact with his or her child;(3) The rights of a custodian under an order from a court of competent jurisdiction in…

(a) To determine if there is a risk of international child abduction, the court shall consider:(1) (A) Whether the parent, custodian, or anyone acting on behalf of the parent or custodian has committed international child abduction as defined in § 9-13-402(6).(B) In defense of th…

(a) If the court finds that it is in the best interest of the child to take measures to protect the child from international child abduction under this subchapter, then the court may take any of the following actions:(1) Appoint a person as the sole managing custodian of the chil…

(a) A court shall immediately conduct an ex parte hearing if a petitioner:(1) Alleges that:(A) An emergency exists; and(B) His or her child is in imminent danger of becoming a victim of international child abduction as defined under § 9-13-402(6); and(2) Requests an ex parte hear…

(a) Any person who establishes or acquires a marital domicile in this state, who contracts marriage in this state, or who becomes a resident of this state while legally married, and subsequently absents himself or herself from the state leaving a dependent natural or adopted chil…

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Political subdivision thereof” means all cities of the first class, cities of the second class, incorporated towns and counties and their agencies, boards, commissions, institutions and other instrumentalities, and school districts; and(2) “State …

(a) (1) (A) Upon application of any interested person to any judge of any court of record having jurisdiction of the cause of action, the court may require any person receiving as guardian of the person, either by adoption of law or order of any court, any funds, moneys, credits,…

(a) The circuit courts in the several counties in this state shall have exclusive jurisdiction in all civil cases and matters relating to the support of a minor child or support owed to a person eighteen (18) years of age or older that accrued during that person's minority. (b) T…

(a) (1) (A) In determining a reasonable amount of support initially or upon review to be paid by a parent, the court shall refer to the most recent revision of the family support chart.(B) It shall be a rebuttable presumption for the award of child support that the amount contain…

(a) (1) A change in the gross income of the payor or payee parent in an amount equal to or more than twenty percent (20%) shall constitute a material change of circumstances sufficient to petition the court for modification of child support.(2) (A) (i) Any time a court orders chi…

(a) (1) The court where the final adjudication of child support is rendered shall retain jurisdiction of all matters following the entry of the decree.(2) If more than six (6) months subsequent to the final adjudication, however, each of the parties to the action has established …

(a) By accepting public assistance for or on behalf of a dependent child, which public assistance is provided by the Department of Human Services under the Transitional Employment Assistance Program, i.e., Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program, the recipient thereof sha…

(a) As used in this section, “child support order” means a judgment, decree, or order, whether temporary, final, or subject to modification, issued by a court or an administrative agency of competent jurisdiction, for the support and maintenance of a child, including a child who …

(1) As used in this Code:(1) (A) “Accrued arrearage” means a delinquency that is past due and unpaid and owed under a court order or an order of an administrative process established under state law for support of any child or children.(B) “Accrued arrearage” may include past due…

The remedies provided in this subchapter shall not be exclusive of other remedies presently existing.

(a) (1) Hearings in all child support cases and paternity cases brought pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act shall be heard within a reasonable period of time following service of process in each county in the state as defined in this section.(2) In each of the seven…

(a) In all cases in which the support and care of any child or children are involved, it shall be the duty of the plaintiff, defendant, payee parent or physical custodian of the child, and the payor parent to keep the clerk of the circuit court informed of his or her current addr…

(a) There is established an organizational unit to be called the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration that shall administer the state plan for child support enforcement required under Title IV-D of the Social …

(a) The Administrator of the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with county judges, court clerks, and prosecuting attorneys concerning the establishment, en…

(a) As used in this section:(1) “Business” means any corporation, partnership, cable television company, association, individual, utility company that is organized privately, as a cooperative, or as a quasi-public entity, or labor or other organization maintaining an office, doin…

(a) (1) As used in this section, “consumer reporting agency” means any person who, for monetary fees, dues, or on a cooperative, nonprofit basis regularly engages, in whole or in part, in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on…

(a) The Department of Human Services or the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration, or both, shall employ attorneys to assist in the establishment and enforcement of support orders in the State of Arkansas. (b) …

(a) Support rights assigned to the Department of Human Services under § 9-14-109 shall constitute an obligation owed to the State of Arkansas by the person responsible for providing the support, and the obligation shall be collectible under all legal processes. (b) The amount of …

(a) The Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration may charge a nonrefundable application fee of up to twenty-five dollars ($25.00) to any person who contracts with the office for any services under Title IV-D of th…

(a) (1) When a court has ordered support payments to be paid to or by a payor parent, payee parent, or physical custodian of a child who is receiving assistance under the Transitional Employment Assistance Program, Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or the F…

(a) In any action brought on behalf of a person to whom a support obligation is owed under an assignment pursuant to § 9-14-109 or pursuant to a contract for services under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of t…

(a) (1) There shall be no filing fee, service fee, or other costs collected from the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration or any attorney acting on its behalf for actions brought under the Uniform Interstate F…

(a) (1) The Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration shall establish and maintain a system to promptly implement income withholding for support orders issued in other states.(2) The office shall also seek assistan…

The income withholding provisions of this subchapter shall supersede the provisions of § 9-14-102 when applicable.

(a) (1) In all decrees or orders that provide for the payment of money for the support and care of any children, the court shall include a provision directing a payor to deduct from:(A) Money, income, or periodic earnings due the noncustodial parent an amount that is sufficient t…

Orders of income withholding for support shall have priority over all other legal processes under state law against the money, income, or periodic earnings of the noncustodial parent.

(a) All persons under court order to pay support on August 1, 1985, who become delinquent in an amount equal to the total court-ordered support payable for thirty (30) days shall be subject to the income withholding provisions of this subchapter. An order of income withholding sh…