Duties of support enforcement agency

A. A support enforcement agency of this state, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding pursuant to the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act. 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 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 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 for such a determination is made in a tribunal having jurisdiction to do so. 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 dollars under the applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported. E. A support enforcement agency of the 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 40-6A-319 NMSA 1978. F. The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act 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. History: Laws 1994, ch. 107, § 307; 1997, ch. 9, § 10; 2005, ch. 166, § 19; 2011, ch. 159, § 20.