Title 23, DOMESTIC RELATIONS

The Office of Victim Advocate shall have the following duties in order to implement this chapter: (1) The Office of Victim Advocate shall adopt and use guidelines which shall be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The guidelines shall not be subject to review under section 20…

Except for gross negligence, recklessness or intentional misconduct, the Office of Victim Advocate, law enforcement agencies and all agents, contractors and employees of the Office of Victim Advocate or a law enforcement agency shall be immune from civil liability in any action a…

This part shall be known and may be cited as the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act. (a) Short title of part.--(Deleted by amendment). (b) Definitions.--(Deleted by amendment). (Dec. 16, 1997, P.L.549, No.58, eff. Jan. 1, 1998; Dec. 28, 2015, P.L.559, No.94, eff. imd.) 1997 Am…

Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent provisions of this part which are applicable to specific provisions of this part, the following words and phrases when used in this part shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indi…

2015 Repeal. Section 7102 was repealed December 28, 2015, P.L.559, No.94, effective immediately.

(a) Tribunals.--The courts of common pleas are the tribunals of this State. (b) Support enforcement agency.--The department's Bureau of Child Support Enforcement is the support enforcement agency of this State. (Dec. 28, 2015, P.L.559, No.94, eff. imd.) 2015 Amendment. Act 94 add…

(a) Remedies.--Remedies provided by this part are cumulative and do not affect the availability of remedies under other law or the recognition of a foreign support order on the basis of comity. (b) Limitations.--This part does not: (1) provide the exclusive method of establishing…

(a) Applicability.--A tribunal of this State shall apply Chapter 71 (relating to general provisions), 72 (relating to jurisdiction), 73 (relating to civil provisions of general application), 74 (relating to establishment of support order or determination of parentage), 75 (relati…

(a) 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 any of the following apply: (1…

2015 Repeal. Section 7202 was repealed December 28, 2015, P.L.559, No.94, effective immediately.

Personal jurisdiction acquired by a tribunal of this State in a proceeding under this part 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 the tribunal's order or continuing juris…

Under this part, 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 a foreign country. (Dec. 28, 2015, P.L.559, No.94, eff. imd.)

(a) Permissible.--A tribunal of this State may exercise jurisdiction to establish a support order if the petition or comparable pleading is filed after a petition or comparable pleading is filed in another state or a foreign country only if all of the following apply: (1) The pet…

(a) Extent.--A tribunal of this State that has issued a child support order consistent with the law of this State has and shall exercise continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify the child support order if the order is the controlling order and: (1) at the time of the filing o…

(a) Initiating tribunal.--A tribunal of this State that has issued a child support order consistent with the law of this State may serve as an initiating tribunal to request a tribunal of another state to enforce: (1) the order, if the order is the controlling order and has not b…

(a) Single child support order.--If a proceeding is brought under this part and only one tribunal has issued a child support order, the order of that tribunal controls and must be so recognized. (a.1) Multiple orders.--If a proceeding is brought under this part and two or more ch…

In responding to registrations or petitions for enforcement of two 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 tri…

Amounts collected and credited for a particular period pursuant to a child support order issued by a tribunal of another state or a foreign country must be credited against the amounts accruing or accrued for the same period under a child support order for the same child issued b…

A tribunal of this State exercising personal jurisdiction over a nonresident in a proceeding under this part, under other law of this State relating to a support order or recognizing a foreign support order, may receive evidence from outside this State under section 7316 (relatin…

(a) Modification.--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 obligation. (b) Prohibition.--A tribunal of this St…

(a) Scope.--Except as otherwise provided in this part, this Chapter applies to all proceedings under this part. (b) Proceedings.--(Deleted by amendment). (c) Commencement.--An individual petitioner or a support enforcement agency may commence a proceeding authorized under this pa…

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 by this part, a responding tribunal of this State: (1) shall apply the procedural and substantive law, including the rules on choice of law, generally applicable to similar proceedings originating in this State and may exercise all powers and provide …

(a) Copies of petition.--Upon the filing of a petition authorized by this part, an initiating tribunal of this State shall forward three copies of the petition and its accompanying documents: (1) to the responding tribunal or appropriate support enforcement agency in the respondi…

(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…

(a) Jurisdiction.--If a support order entitled to recognition under this part has not been issued, a responding tribunal of this State with personal jurisdiction over the parties may issue a support order if any of the following apply: (1) The individual seeking the order resides…

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 part or a law or procedure substantially similar to this part. (Dec. 28, 2015, P.L.559, No.94, eff. imd.) …

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 person or entity defined as the obligor's employer under section 4302 (relating to definitions) without first filing a petition or comparab…

(a) Copy of order.--Upon receipt of an income-withholding order, the obligor's employer shall immediately provide a copy of the order to the obligor. (b) Treatment of order.--The employer shall treat an income-withholding order issued in another state which appears regular on its…

If an obligor's employer receives multiple income-withholding orders with respect to the earnings of the same obligor, the employer satisfies the terms of the multiple orders if the employer complies with the law of the state of the obligor's principal place of employment to esta…

An employer who complies with an income-withholding order issued in another state in accordance with this chapter is not subject to civil liability to an individual or agency with regard to the employer's withholding of child support from the obligor's income. (Dec. 16, 1997, P.L…

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. (Dec. 16, 1997, P.L.549, No.58…