Title 19-A, Title 19-A

1. Support proceeding. A tribunal of this State shall apply this subchapter, subchapters 2 to 6 and, as applicable, subchapter 7‑A to a support proceeding involving: A. A foreign support order; [PL 2009, c. 95, §24 (NEW); PL 2009, c. 95, §87 (AFF).] B. A foreign tribunal; or [PL …

1. Exercise of jurisdiction. In a proceeding to establish or enforce a support order or to determine parentage of a child, a tribunal of this State may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident individual or the individual's guardian or conservator if: A. The individual i…

Personal jurisdiction acquired by a tribunal of this State in a proceeding under this chapter or other law of this State relating to a support order continues as long as a tribunal of this State has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify its order or continuing jurisdiction…

Under this chapter, a tribunal of this State may serve as an initiating tribunal to forward proceedings to a tribunal of another state and as a responding tribunal for proceedings initiated in another state or foreign country.

1. Exercise of jurisdiction when filed in another state. A tribunal of this State may exercise jurisdiction to establish a support order when the petition or comparable pleading is filed after a petition or comparable pleading is filed in another state or a foreign country only i…

1. Tribunal has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction. A tribunal of this State that has issued a support order consistent with the laws of this State has and shall exercise continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify its child support order if the order is the controlling order an…

1. Initiating tribunal to enforce. A tribunal of this State that has issued a child support order consistent with the laws of this State may serve as an initiating tribunal to request a tribunal of another state to enforce: A. The order if the order is the controlling order and h…

1. Recognition of orders; one tribunal. If a proceeding is brought under this chapter and only one tribunal has issued a child support order, the order of that tribunal controls and must be so recognized. 2. Recognition of orders; 2 or more tribunals. If a proceeding is brought u…

In responding to registrations or petitions for enforcement of 2 or more child support orders in effect at the same time with regard to the same obligor and different individual obligees, at least one of which was issued by a tribunal of another state or a foreign country, a trib…

A tribunal of this State shall credit amounts collected for a particular period pursuant to any child support order against the amounts owed for the same period under any other child support order for support of the same child issued by a tribunal of this State or another state o…

A tribunal of this State exercising personal jurisdiction over a nonresident in a proceeding under this chapter or under other laws of this State relating to a support order or recognizing a foreign support order may receive evidence from outside this State pursuant to section 30…

1. Tribunal of this State; continuing, exclusive jurisdiction. A tribunal of this State issuing a spousal support order consistent with the law of this State has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify the spousal support order throughout the existence of the support obligat…

1. Application of subchapter. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, this subchapter applies to all proceedings under this chapter. 1-A. Initiation of proceedings. An individual petitioner or a support enforcement agency may initiate a proceeding authorized under this chap…

A minor parent or a guardian or other legal representative of a minor parent may maintain a proceeding on behalf of or for the benefit of the minor's child.

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a responding tribunal of this State shall: [PL 2003, c. 436, §12 (AMD).] 1. Procedural and substantive law; powers and remedies. Apply the procedural and substantive law generally applicable to similar proceedings originating in this …

1. Forward petition and accompanying documents. Upon the filing of a petition authorized by this chapter, an initiating tribunal of this State shall forward the petition and its accompanying documents: A. To the responding tribunal or appropriate support enforcement agency in the…

1. Duties of responding tribunal. Upon receipt of a petition or comparable pleading from the state information agency, a responding tribunal shall cause the petition or pleading to be filed and notify the petitioner by first class mail where and when it was filed. 2. Powers of re…

If a petition or comparable pleading is received by an inappropriate tribunal of this State, the inappropriate tribunal shall forward the petition or pleading and accompanying documents to an appropriate tribunal or to the state information agency in this State or another state a…

1. Services to petitioner. The department, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter. 2. Duties. If the department provides services to the petitioner, the department shall: A. Take all steps necessary to enable an appropriate tribuna…

If the commissioner determines that the support enforcement agency is neglecting or refusing to provide services to an individual, the commissioner may order the agency to perform its duties under this chapter or may otherwise provide those services directly to the individual. [P…

An individual may employ a private attorney to represent the individual in proceedings authorized by this chapter.

1. State information agency. The department is the state information agency. 2. Duties. The state information agency shall: A. Compile and maintain a current list, including addresses, of the tribunals in this State that have jurisdiction under this chapter and the department and…

1. Petition; contents. In a proceeding under this chapter, a petitioner seeking to establish a support order, to determine parentage of a child or to register and modify a support order of a tribunal of another state or a foreign country must file a petition. Unless otherwise ord…

If a party alleges in an affidavit or a pleading under oath that the health, safety or liberty of a party or child would be jeopardized by disclosure of specific identifying information, that information must be sealed and may not be disclosed to the other party or the public. Af…

1. No fees or costs by petitioner. The petitioner may not be required to pay a filing fee or other costs. 2. Fees and costs if obligee prevails. If an obligee prevails, a responding tribunal of this State may assess against an obligor filing fees, reasonable attorney's fees, othe…

1. Personal jurisdiction in another proceeding. Participation by a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter before a responding tribunal, whether in person, by private attorney or through services provided by the department, does not confer personal jurisdiction over the pet…

A party whose parentage of a child has been previously determined by or pursuant to law may not plead nonparentage as a defense to a proceeding under this chapter.

1. Physical presence not required. The physical presence of a nonresident party who is an individual in a tribunal of this State is not required for the establishment, enforcement or modification of a support order or the rendition of a judgment determining parentage of a child. …

A tribunal of this State may communicate with a tribunal outside this State in a record, in an e-mail or by telephone or other means to obtain information concerning the laws; the legal effect of a judgment, decree or order of that tribunal; and the status of a proceeding. A trib…

A tribunal of this State may: [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).] 1. Request a tribunal outside this State. Request a tribunal outside this State to assist in obtaining discovery; and 2. Compel response. Upon request, compel a person over whom it…

1. Disburse promptly. The department shall disburse promptly any amounts received pursuant to a support order as directed by the order. The department shall furnish to a requesting party or tribunal of another state or foreign country a certified statement by the custodian of the…

1. Responding tribunal may issue support order. If a support order entitled to recognition under this chapter has not been issued, a responding tribunal of this State with personal jurisdiction over the parties may issue a support order if: A. The individual seeking the order res…

A tribunal of this State authorized to determine parentage of a child may serve as a responding tribunal in a proceeding to determine parentage of a child brought under this chapter or a law or procedure substantially similar to this chapter.

An income-withholding order issued in another state may be sent by or on behalf of the obligee or by the support enforcement agency to the obligor's employer, described as a payor of income under chapter 65, subchapter 4, without first filing a petition or comparable pleading or …

1. Copy of order to obligor. Upon receipt of an income-withholding order, the obligor's employer shall immediately provide a copy of the order to the obligor. 2. Recognition of out-of-state order. The employer shall treat an income-withholding order issued in another state that a…

If an employer receives 2 or more income-withholding orders with respect to the earnings of the same obligor, the employer satisfies the terms of the orders if the employer complies with the laws of the state of the obligor's principal place of employment when establishing the pr…

An employer that complies with an income-withholding order issued in another state in accordance with this subchapter is not subject to civil liability to an individual or support enforcement agency with regard to the employer's withholding of child support payments from the obli…

An employer that willfully fails to comply with an income-withholding order issued in another state and received for enforcement is subject to the same penalties that may be imposed for noncompliance with an order issued by a tribunal of this State.

1. Contesting the validity or enforcement of an order. An obligor may contest the validity or enforcement of an income-withholding order issued in another state and received directly by an employer in this State by registering the order in a tribunal of this State and filing a co…

1. Documents to state information agency. A party residing in another state or a support enforcement agency seeking to enforce a support order or an income-withholding order, or both, issued in another state or a foreign support order shall send the documents required for registe…

A support order or income-withholding order issued in another state or a foreign country may be registered in this State for enforcement.

1. Required documents and information. Except as otherwise provided in section 3316, a support order or an income-withholding order of another state or a foreign support order may be registered in this State by sending the following records to the appropriate tribunal in this Sta…

1. Registered when filed. A support order or income-withholding order issued in another state or a foreign support order is registered when the order is filed in the registering tribunal of this State. 2. Enforceability of registered order. A registered support order issued in an…

1. Current payments, other obligations and arrearages under order. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, the law of the issuing state or foreign country governs: A. The nature, extent, amount and duration of current payments under a registered support order; [PL 2003, c. …

1. Time and method of notice. When a support order or income-withholding order issued in another state or a foreign support order is registered, the registering tribunal of this State shall notify the nonregistering party. The notice must be accompanied by a copy of the registere…

1. Timing and remedies. A nonregistering party seeking to contest the validity or enforcement of a registered support order in this State shall request a hearing within the time required by section 3201. The nonregistering party may seek to vacate the registration, to assert any …