Title 81, Utah Domestic Relations Code

81-8-201. Bases for jurisdiction over nonresident. (1) 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 conserva…

81-8-202. Duration of personal jurisdiction. 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 t…

81-8-203. Initiating and responding tribunal of state. 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 count…

81-8-204. Simultaneous proceedings in another state. (1) A tribunal of this state may exercise jurisdiction to establish a support order if the petition or comparable pleading is filed after a pleading is filed in another state or a foreign country only if: (a) the petition or co…

81-8-205. Continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify child support order. (1) 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 its child support order if the …

81-8-206. Continuing jurisdiction to enforce child support order. (1) 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: (a) the order if the o…

81-8-207. Determination of controlling child-support order. (1) 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 shall be so recognized. (2) If a proceeding is brought under this chapter,…

81-8-208. Child support orders for two or more obligees. 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 …

81-8-209. Credit for payments. 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 o…

81-8-210. Application of chapter to nonresident subject to personal jurisdiction. (1) 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 forei…

81-8-211. Continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify spousal support order. (1) 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 …

81-8-301. Proceedings under chapter. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, this part applies to all proceedings under this chapter. (2) An individual petitioner or a child support services agency may initiate a proceeding authorized under this chapter by filing a peti…

81-8-302. Action by parent who is under 18 years old. A parent who is under 18 years old, or a guardian or other legal representative of the parent, may maintain a proceeding on behalf of or for the benefit of the parent's child.

81-8-303. Application of law of state. 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 provi…

81-8-304. Duties of initiating tribunal. (1) 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 child support services agency in th…

81-8-305. Duties and powers of responding tribunal. (1) When a responding tribunal of this state receives a petition or comparable pleading from an initiating tribunal or directly in accordance with Subsection 81-8-301(2), the responding tribunal shall cause the petition or plead…

81-8-306. Inappropriate tribunal. 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 in this state or another state and notify the petitioner wh…

81-8-307. Duties of child support services agency. (1) A child support services agency of this state, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter. (2) A child support services agency of this state that is providing services to the petit…

81-8-308. Duty of attorney general. (1) If the attorney general determines that the child support services agency is neglecting or refusing to provide services to an individual, the attorney general may order the agency to perform the agency's duties under this chapter or may pro…

81-8-309. Private counsel. An individual may employ private counsel to represent the individual in proceedings authorized by this chapter.

81-8-310. Duties of state information agency. (1) The Office of Recovery Services is the state information agency under this chapter. (2) The state information agency shall: (a) compile and maintain a current list, including addresses, of the tribunals in this state which have ju…

81-8-311. Pleadings and accompanying documents. (1)(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 shall fil…

81-8-312. Nondisclosure of information in exceptional circumstances. (1) 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 mu…

81-8-313. Costs and fees. (1) The petitioner may not be required to pay a filing fee or other costs. (2)(a) 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…

81-8-314. Limited immunity of petitioner. (1) 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 child support services agency, does not confer personal jurisdi…

81-8-315. Nonparentage as defense. 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.

81-8-316. Special rules of evidence and procedure. (1) 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 p…

81-8-317. Communications between tribunals. (1) A tribunal of this state may communicate with a tribunal outside this state in a record, or by telephone, electronic mail, or other means, to obtain information concerning the laws, the legal effect of a judgment, decree, or order o…

81-8-318. Assistance with discovery. A tribunal of this state may: (1) request a tribunal outside this state to assist in obtaining discovery; and (2) upon request, compel a person over whom it has jurisdiction to respond to a discovery order issued by a tribunal outside this sta…

81-8-319. Receipt and disbursement of payments. (1)(a) A child support services agency or tribunal of this state shall disburse promptly any amounts received pursuant to a support order, as directed by the order. (b) The agency or tribunal shall furnish to a requesting party or t…

81-8-401. Establishment of support order. (1) 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 resi…

81-8-402. Proceeding to determine parentage. A tribunal of this state authorized to determine parentage of a child may serve as a responding tribunal in a proceeding to determine parentage brought under this chapter or a law or procedure substantially similar to this chapter.

81-8-501. Employer's receipt of income-withholding order of another state. An income-withholding order issued in another state may be sent by or on behalf of the obligee, or by the child support services agency, to the person defined as the obligor's employer under Title 26B, Cha…

81-8-502. Employer's compliance with income-withholding order of another state. (1) Upon receipt of an income-withholding order, the obligor's employer shall immediately provide a copy of the order to the obligor. (2) The employer shall treat an income-withholding order issued in…

81-8-503. Employer's compliance with two or more income-withholding orders. If an obligor's employer receives two or more 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 w…

81-8-504. Immunity from civil liability. An employer that complies with an income withholding order issued in another state in accordance with this part is not subject to civil liability to an individual or agency with regard to the employer's withholding of child support from th…

81-8-505. Penalties for noncompliance. 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 thi…

81-8-506. Contest by obligor. (1) 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 contest to that order a…

81-8-507. Administrative enforcement of orders. (1) A party or child support services agency seeking to enforce a support order or an income-withholding order, or both, issued in another state, or seeking to enforce a foreign support order, may send the documents required for reg…

81-8-601. Registration of order for enforcement. A support order or income-withholding order issued in another state, or a foreign support order, may be registered in this state for enforcement.

81-8-602. Procedure to register order for enforcement. (1) Except as otherwise provided in Section 81-8-706, a support order or income-withholding order of another state, or a foreign support order, may be registered in this state by sending the following records to the appropria…

81-8-603. Effect of registration for enforcement. (1) 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) A registered support order issued in another…

81-8-604. Choice of law. (1) 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; (b) the computation and payment of arrearages a…

81-8-605. Notice of registration of order. (1)(a) 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. (b) The notice shall be accompanied…

81-8-606. Procedure to contest validity or enforcement of registered support order. (1)(a) 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 81-8-605. (b) T…

81-8-607. Contest of registration or enforcement. (1) A party contesting the validity or enforcement of a registered support order or seeking to vacate the registration has the burden of proving one or more of the following defenses: (a) the issuing tribunal lacked personal juris…