Title 23, DOMESTIC RELATIONS

(a) Filing and notice.--If a responding tribunal of this State receives a petition or comparable pleading from an initiating tribunal or directly pursuant to section 7301(c) (relating to proceedings under this part), it shall cause the petition or pleading to be filed and notify …

If a petition or comparable pleading is received by an inappropriate tribunal of this State, it shall forward the pleading and accompanying documents to an appropriate tribunal in this State or another state and notify the petitioner where and when the pleading was sent. (Dec. 16…

(a) General duty.--In a proceeding under this part, a support enforcement agency of this State, upon request: (1) Shall provide services to a petitioner residing in a state. (2) Shall provide services to a petitioner requesting services through a central authority of a foreign co…

(a) Secretary.--If the secretary determines that a support enforcement agency is neglecting or refusing to provide services to an individual, the secretary may order the agency to perform its duties under this part or may provide those services directly to the individual. (b) Rec…

An individual may employ private counsel to represent the individual in proceedings authorized by this part.

(a) Designation.--The department is the State information agency under this part. (b) Duties.--The department shall do all of the following: (1) Compile and maintain a current list, including addresses, of the tribunals in this State which have jurisdiction under this part and an…

(a) Verification and content.--In a proceeding under this part, 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…

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 the specific identifying information, the specific identifying information must be sealed and may not be disclosed to the other…

(a) Petitioner.--The petitioner may not be required to pay a filing fee or other costs. (b) Obligor.--If an obligee prevails, a responding tribunal of this State may assess against an obligor filing fees, reasonable attorney fees, other costs and necessary travel and other reason…

(a) Jurisdiction over person.--Participation by a petitioner in a proceeding before a responding tribunal, whether in person, by private attorney or through services provided by the support enforcement agency, does not confer personal jurisdiction over the petitioner in another p…

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 part.

(a) Physical presence.--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. (b) Hearsay…

A tribunal of this State may communicate with a tribunal outside this State in a record or by telephone, e-mail 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 tribunal o…

A tribunal of this State may do all of the following: (1) Request a tribunal outside this State to assist in obtaining discovery. (2) Upon request, compel a person subject to its jurisdiction to respond to a discovery order issued by a tribunal outside this State. (Dec. 28, 2015,…

(a) Payments.--A support enforcement agency or tribunal of this State shall disburse promptly any amounts received pursuant to a support order, as directed by the order. The agency or tribunal shall furnish to a requesting party or tribunal outside this State or of a foreign coun…