Title 9 — Family Law

(a) Notice shall be sent to the employer or payor of the parent for whom income withholding for healthcare coverage has been ordered. (b) The notice may be served on the employer or payor as if it were a summons pursuant to Rule 4 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure or may b…

(a) Upon receipt of an objection from a payor under an order of income withholding for healthcare coverage, the court or its representative shall expeditiously determine whether the payor shall be relieved under the order and shall so inform the payor within ten (10) days of rece…

A payor who has been notified of an order of income withholding for healthcare coverage shall be bound by the order until further notice by the court or its representative.

A payor shall notify the court or its representative or, in cases enforced under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq., the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration, immediately when the n…

(a) A payor who is an employer is prohibited from discharging, refusing to employ, or taking other disciplinary action against a noncustodial parent under an income withholding order for healthcare coverage. (b) Any employer violating this subchapter shall be subject to the conte…

(a) In all cases in which either parent is ordered to provide medical support and the court order is enforced by the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. …

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) (A) “Clearinghouse” means an automated child support payment processing system operating under the auspices of the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration, capable of providing …

The Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration is authorized to implement a clearinghouse system with electronic funds transfer and electronic data interchange transaction capabilities for the collection and distrib…

(a) The clerk of the court shall provide to the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration information on all child support payments paid through the registry of the court concerning the categories of cases listed i…

(a) (1) All child support payments made on cases brought pursuant to Title IV-D shall be paid through the clearinghouse to be operated under the auspices of the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration.(2) Alimony…

(a) (1) A Title IV-D child support, paternity, or Medicaid-only case shall remain within the clearinghouse for payment, collection, and distribution purposes even though a custodial parent may elect to close the case with the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Div…

(a) Employers may remit income withholding for child support by electronic funds transfer and electronic data interchange transaction. (b) The Title IV-D agency shall notify the employer when a case is assigned or transferred to the clearinghouse, at which time the employer shall…

(a) In all cases mentioned in this subchapter wherein the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration is charged with collection and distribution of child support, the payment records of the office shall constitute a…

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an adequate mechanism whereby the State of Arkansas can protect the general health, welfare, and safety of its citizens by intervening when abuse of a member of a household by another member of a household occurs or is threatened to occur…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Domestic Abuse Act of 1991”.

(1) As used in this chapter:(1) “Commercial mobile radio service” means commercial mobile service as defined in 47 U.S.C. § 332;(2) “County where the petitioner resides” means the county in which the petitioner physically resides at the time the petition is filed and may include …

(a) All petitions under this chapter shall be verified. (b) The petition shall be filed in the county where the petitioner resides, where the alleged incident of abuse occurred, or where the respondent may be served. (c) (1) A petition for relief under this chapter may be filed i…

(a) (1) The court, clerks of the court, and law enforcement agencies shall not require any initial filing fees or service costs.(2) A claim or counterclaim for other relief, including without limitation divorce, annulment, separate maintenance, or paternity shall not be asserted …

(a) The circuit clerk shall provide simplified forms and clerical assistance to help petitioners with the writing and filing of a petition under this chapter if the petitioner is not represented by counsel. (b) The petition form shall not require or suggest that a petitioner incl…

(a) (1) When a petition for an order of protection is filed pursuant to this chapter, the court shall order a hearing to be held on the petition for the order of protection not later than thirty (30) days from the date on which the petition for an order of protection is filed or …

(a) At the hearing on the petition filed under this chapter, upon a finding of domestic abuse as defined in § 9-15-103, the court may provide the following relief:(1) Exclude the abusing party from the dwelling that the parties share or from the residence of the petitioner or vic…

(a) When a petition for an order of protection under this chapter alleges an immediate and present danger of domestic abuse or that the respondent is scheduled to be released from incarceration within thirty (30) days and upon the respondent's release there will be an immediate a…

(a) Any order of protection granted under this chapter is enforceable by a law enforcement agency with proper jurisdiction. (b) An order of protection shall include a notice to the respondent or party restrained that:(1) A violation of the order of protection is a Class A misdeme…

(a) When an order of protection is issued under this chapter, upon request of the petitioner the circuit court may order a law enforcement officer with jurisdiction to accompany the petitioner and assist in placing the petitioner in possession of the dwelling or residence or to o…

Any order of protection issued by the circuit court pursuant to a petition filed as authorized in this chapter may be modified upon application of either party, notice to all parties, and a hearing thereon.

When a petitioner or any law enforcement officer files an affidavit with a circuit court that has issued an order of protection under the provisions of this chapter alleging that the respondent or person restrained has violated the order, the court may issue an order to the respo…

A.C.A. § 9-15-211Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

A no contact order shall prohibit the person from making contact, directly or through an agent, except under such conditions as may be provided in the order.

All law enforcement officers shall follow the same procedures as outlined in § 16-90-1107.

The circuit court shall not deny a petitioner relief solely because the act of domestic or family violence and the filing of the petition did not occur within one hundred twenty (120) days.

(a) In addition to other factors that a circuit court shall consider in a proceeding in which the temporary custody of a child or temporary visitation by a parent is at issue and in which the court has made a finding of domestic or family violence, the court shall consider:(1) As…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a circuit court shall not grant a mutual order of protection to opposing parties. (b) Separate orders of protection restraining each opposing party may only be granted in cases in which each party:(1) Has properly filed an…

(a) (1) (A) A person who is charged with violating an ex parte order of protection under § 5-53-134 may be ordered as a condition of his or her release from custody to be placed under electronic surveillance at his or her expense until the charge is adjudicated.(B) A person who i…

(a) Commencing July 1, 2017, at an initial or subsequent hearing on a petition filed under this subchapter, to ensure that the petitioner may maintain his or her existing wireless telephone number and the wireless numbers of minor children in the petitioner's care, the court may …

(a) As used in this section:(1) (A) “Course of control” means a pattern of behavior that in purpose or effect unreasonably interferes with the free will and personal liberty of a person.(B) “Course of control” includes without limitation the following:(i) Unreasonably isolating a…

A.C.A. § 9-15-301Current through all legislation of the 2025 Regular Session.Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated Official EditionCopyright © 2026 by the State of Arkansas All rights reserved

(a) An order of protection shall be afforded full faith and credit by the courts of this state and shall be enforced by law enforcement as if it were issued in this state if the order of protection:(1) Meets the requirements of subsection (b) or subsection (c) of this section and…

(a) Law enforcement officers and law enforcement agencies shall be immune from civil or criminal liability if acting in good faith in an effort to comply with this subchapter. (b) A military order of protection as defined under § 5-53-134(f)(1) shall be enforced by law enforcemen…

This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Spousal Abuse Safety Plan Act”.

(a) The General Assembly finds that:(1) There are many resources to support victims of domestic abuse after the abuse has occurred. However, the issues of how to prevent spousal abuse and the possible solution of creating a safety plan for the spouse and the children in the house…

(1) As used in this subchapter:(1) “Emotional abuse” means any of the following acts:(A) Verbally attacking or threatening a spouse by yelling, screaming, or name-calling;(B) Using criticism, social isolation, intimidation, or exploitation to dominate a spouse;(C) Criminally hara…

(1) The purpose of this subchapter is to:(1) Develop increased and improved security measures that provide greater protection for victims of spousal abuse, especially those who have orders of protection;(2) Help victims create a safety plan to keep them and their children as safe…

(a) The Arkansas Child Abuse/Rape/Domestic Violence Commission, in consultation with experts on spousal abuse prevention and intervention, shall develop educational material and training material to address the issues under this subchapter. (b) The educational material and traini…

The Arkansas Child Abuse/Rape/Domestic Violence Commission shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this subchapter.

(1) The Arkansas Child Abuse/Rape/Domestic Violence Commission shall report annually to the House Committee on Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs and the Senate Interim Committee on Children and Youth regarding:(1) The status of the implementation and adm…

This chapter shall be known as the “Family Preservation Services Program Act”.

(1) As used in this chapter, “family preservation services” means services for children and families that are designed to help families at risk or in crisis, including adoptive and extended families, and include:(1) Service programs designed to help a child:(A) When safe and appr…

(1) The Director of the Division of Children and Family Services of the Department of Human Services shall:(1) (A) Make family preservation services accessible to all cases in which a child is about to be placed outside his or her home, or in which a child has been placed outside…

(a) The Division of Children and Family Services of the Department of Human Services shall be the lead administrative agency for family preservation services and may receive funding for the implementation of such services. (b) The division shall:(1) Provide the coordination of an…

(a) The Division of Children and Family Services of the Department of Human Services may provide family preservation services directly or may contract with a private, nonprofit social service agency or qualified individual to provide such services. (b) In the event a nonprofit so…