Title 15, Title 15 Relations

(a) A court of this state shall treat a foreign country as if it were a state of the United States for the purpose of applying this chapter. (b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this section, a child custody determination made in a foreign country under factual c…

A child custody determination made by a court of this state that had jurisdiction under this chapter binds all persons who have been served in accordance with the laws of this state or notified in accordance with this chapter or who have submitted to the jurisdiction of the court…

If a question of existence or exercise of jurisdiction under this chapter is raised in a child custody proceeding, the question, upon request of a party, must be given priority on the calendar and handled expeditiously.

(a) Notice required for the exercise of jurisdiction when a person is outside this state may be given in a manner prescribed by the law of this state for service of process or by law of the state in which the service is made. Notice must be given in a manner reasonably calculated…

(a) A party to a child custody proceeding, including a modification proceeding, or a petitioner or respondent in a proceeding to enforce or register a child custody determination, is not subject to personal jurisdiction in this state for another proceeding or purpose solely by re…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Uniform Interstate Enforcement of Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act”.

As used in this chapter: (1) “Court” means the family court. (2) “Foreign protection order” means a protection order issued by a tribunal of another state. (3) “Issuing state” means the state whose tribunal issues a protection order. (4) “Mutual foreign protection order” means a …

(a) A person authorized by the law of this state to seek enforcement of a protection order may seek enforcement of a valid foreign protection order in a tribunal of this state. The court shall enforce the terms of the order, including terms that provide relief that the court woul…

(a) A law enforcement officer of this state, upon determining that there is probable cause to believe that a valid foreign protection order exists and that the order has been violated, shall enforce the order as if it were the order of a tribunal of this state. Presentation of a …

A form in substantially the following language shall suffice for the purposes of filing of certificate or confirmation: STATE OF RHODE ISLAND FAMILY COURT _______________________________________ , SC _______________________________________ (Name) Petitioner vs. __________________…

(a) Any individual may register a foreign protection order in this state. To register a foreign protection order, an individual shall: (1) present a certified copy of the order to the appropriate law enforcement agency; or (2) present a certified copy of the order to the departme…

The state or a local governmental agency, or a law enforcement officer, prosecuting attorney, clerk of court, or any state or local governmental official acting in an official capacity, is immune from civil and criminal liability for an act or omission arising out of the registra…

A protected individual who pursues remedies under this chapter is not precluded from pursuing other legal or equitable remedies against the respondent.

In applying and construing this chapter, consideration must be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact it.

If any provision of this chapter or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provision…

This act shall be known and may be cited as “The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act of 2006”.

In this chapter: (1) “Child” means an individual, whether over or under the age of majority, who is or is alleged to be owed a duty of support by the individual’s parent or who is or is alleged to be the beneficiary of a support order directed to the parent. (2) “Child support or…

(a) The Rhode Island family court, and, where specifically authorized by law, the Rhode Island division of taxation within the department of administration are the tribunals of this state. (b) The Rhode Island family court, and, where specifically authorized by law, the Rhode Isl…

(a) Remedies provided by this chapter 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) This chapter does not: (1) Provide the exclusive method of establishing or enforcing a sup…

(a) A tribunal of this state shall apply this chapter to a support proceeding involving: (1) A foreign support order; (2) A foreign tribunal; or (3) An obligee, obligor or a child residing in a foreign country. (b) A tribunal of this state that is requested to recognize and enfor…

(a) In 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: (1) The individual is personally served within…

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 a foreign country.

(a) 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: (1) The petition or comparable pleading in this stat…

(a) A tribunal of this state that has issued a support order consistent with the law of this state has and shall exercise continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify its child support order if the order is the controlling order, and: (1) At the time of the filing of a request fo…

(a) 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 been modified by a tri…

(a) 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. (b) If a proceeding is brought under this chapter, and two (2) or more child support orders have been issued b…

In responding to registrations or petitions for enforcement of two (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 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, another state or a fore…

A tribunal of this state exercising personal jurisdiction over a nonresident in a proceeding under this chapter, under other law of this state relating to a support order, or recognizing a foreign support order may receive evidence from outside this state pursuant to § 15-23.1-31…

(a) 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) A tribunal of this state may not modify a spousal-…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, this article applies to all proceedings under this chapter. (b) An individual petitioner or a support enforcement agency may initiate a proceeding authorized under this chapter by filing a petition in an initiating tribunal for fo…

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: (1) Apply the procedural and substantive law generally applicable to similar proceedings originating in this state and may exercise all powers and provide all remedies available in those proc…

(a) Upon the filing of a petition authorized by this chapter, an initiating tribunal of this state shall forward the petition and its accompanying documents: (1) To the responding tribunal or appropriate support enforcement agency in the responding state; or (2) If the identity o…

(a) When a responding tribunal of this state receives a petition or comparable pleading from an initiating tribunal or directly pursuant to § 15-23.1-301(b) it shall cause the petition or pleading to be filed and notify the petitioner where and when it was filed. (b) A responding…

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

(a) A support enforcement agency of this state, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter. (b) A support enforcement agency of this state that is providing services to the petitioner shall: (1) Take all steps necessary to enable an ap…

(a) If the attorney general determines that the support enforcement agency is neglecting or refusing to provide services to an individual, the attorney general may order the agency to perform its duties under this chapter or may provide those services directly to the individual. …

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

(a) The division of taxation within the department of administration is the state information agency under this chapter. (b) The state information agency shall: (1) Compile and maintain a current list, including addresses, of the tribunals in this state which have jurisdiction un…

(a) 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 verified petition. Unless otherwise ordered under…

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. A…

(a) The petitioner may not be required to pay a filing fee or other costs. (b) If an obligee prevails, a responding tribunal of this state may assess against an obligor filing fees, reasonable attorney’s fees, other costs, and necessary travel and other reasonable expenses incurr…

(a) 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 support enforcement agency, does not confer personal jurisdiction over the petitioner in another proceedi…

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