Title 16 — Domestic Relations
11 chapters · 258 sections in this title.
16 V.I.C. § 425 Employer’s receipt of income-withholding order from another state
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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 defined as the obligor’s employer under chapter 13, subchapter I of this title without first filing a petition or comparable pleadin…
16 V.I.C. § 426 Employer’s compliance with income withholding order of another state
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(a) Upon receipt of an income-withholding order, the obligor’s employer shall immediately provide a copy of the order to the obligor. (b) The employer shall treat an income-withholding order issued in another state which appears regular on its face as if it had been issued by a t…
16 V.I.C. § 427 Employer’s compliance with two or more income withholding orders
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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 orders if the employer complies with the law of the state of the obligor’s principal place of employment to establish …
16 V.I.C. § 428 Immunity from civil liability
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An employer that complies with an income-withholding order issued in another state in accordance with this article 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.
16 V.I.C. § 429 Penalties for noncompliance
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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 the Virgin Islands.
16 V.I.C. § 430 Context by obligor
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(a) An obligor may contest the validity or enforcement of an income-withholding order issued in another state and received directly by an employer in the Virgin Islands by registering the order in a tribunal of the Virgin Islands and filing a contest to that order as provided in …
16 V.I.C. § 431 Administrative enforcement orders
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(a) A party or support enforcement agency seeking to enforce a support order or an income-withholding order, or both, issued in another state or a foreign support order may send the documents required for registering the order to a support enforcement agency of the Virgin Islands…
16 V.I.C. § 432 Registration of order of enforcement
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A support order or income withholding order issued in another state or a foreign support order may be registered in the Virgin Islands for enforcement.
16 V.I.C. § 433 Procedure to register order for enforcement
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(a) Except as otherwise provided in section 446e, a support order or income-withholding order of another state or a foreign support order may be registered in the Virgin Islands by sending the following records to the appropriate tribunal in the Virgin Islands:(1) a letter of tra…
16 V.I.C. § 434 Effect of registration for enforcement
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(a) 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 the Virgin Islands. (b) A registered support order issued in another state or a foreign country is enforceable i…
16 V.I.C. § 435 Choice of law
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(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d), the law of the issuing state or foreign country governs:(1) the nature, extent, amount, and duration of current payments under a registered support order;(2) the computation and payment of arrearages and accrual of interest on t…
16 V.I.C. § 436 Notice of registration of order
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(a) When a support order or income-withholding order issued in another state or a foreign support order is registered, the registering tribunal of the Virgin Islands shall notify the nonregistering party. The notice must be accompanied by a copy of the registered order and the do…
16 V.I.C. § 437 Procedure to contest validity of enforcement of registered support order
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(a) A nonregistering party seeking to contest the validity or enforcement of a registered support order in the Virgin Islands shall request a hearing within the time required by section 436(b)(2). The nonregistering party may seek to vacate the registration, to assert any defense…
16 V.I.C. § 438 Contest of registration or enforcement
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(a) 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:(1) the issuing tribunal lacked personal jurisdiction over the contesting party;(2) the order was…
16 V.I.C. § 439 Confirmed order
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Confirmation of a registered support order, whether by operation of law or after notice and hearing, precludes further contest of the order with respect to any matter that could have been asserted at the time of registration.
16 V.I.C. § 440 Procedure to register child-support order of another state for modification
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A party or a support enforcement agency seeking to modify or to enforce a child-support order issued in another state shall register that order in the Virgin Islands in the same manner provided in sections 432 through 439.
16 V.I.C. § 441 Effect of registration for modification
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A tribunal of the Virgin Islands may enforce a child-support order of another state registered for purposes of modification, in the same manner as if the order had been issued by a tribunal of the Virgin Islands, but the registered support order may be modified only if the requir…
16 V.I.C. § 442 Modification of child support order of another state
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(a) If section 444 does not apply, upon petition a tribunal of the Virgin Islands may modify a child-support order issued in another state which is registered in the Virgin Islands, if after notice and hearing, the tribunal finds that:(1) the following requirements are met:(A) ne…
16 V.I.C. § 443 Recognition of order modified in another state
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(1) If a child-support order issued by a tribunal of the Virgin Islands is modified by a tribunal of another state which assumed jurisdiction pursuant to the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, a tribunal of the Virgin Islands:(1) may enforce its order that was modified only a…
16 V.I.C. § 444 Jurisdiction to modify child-support order of another state when individual parties reside in the Virgin Islands
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(a) If all of the parties who arc individuals reside in the Virgin Islands and the child does not reside in the issuing state, a tribunal of the Virgin Islands has jurisdiction to enforce and to modify the issuing state’s child-support order in a proceeding to register that order…
16 V.I.C. § 445 Notice to issuing tribunal of modification
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Within 30 days after issuance of a modified child-support order, the party obtaining the modification shall file a certified copy of the order with the issuing tribunal that had continuing, exclusive jurisdiction over the earlier order, and in each tribunal in which the party kno…
16 V.I.C. § 445a Jurisdiction to modify child-support order of foreign country
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(a) Except as otherwise provided in section 446j, if a foreign country lacks or refuses to exercise jurisdiction to modify its child-support order pursuant to its laws, a tribunal of the Virgin Islands may assume jurisdiction to modify the child-support order and bind all individ…
16 V.I.C. § 445b Procedure to register child-support order of foreign country for modification
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A party or support enforcement agency seeking to modify, or to modify and enforce, a foreign child-support order not under the Convention may register that order in the Virgin Islands under sections 432 through 439 if the order has not been registered. A petition for modification…
16 V.I.C. § 446 Definitions
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(1) In this article:(1) “Application” means a request under the Convention by an obligee or obligor, or on behalf of a child, made through a central authority for assistance from another central authority.(2) “Central authority” means the entity designated by the United States or…
16 V.I.C. § 446a Applicability
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This article applies only to a support proceeding under the Convention. In such a proceeding, if a provision of this article is inconsistent with Articles A through F, this article controls.
16 V.I.C. § 446b Relationship of the Virgin Islands Department of Justice, Division of Paternity and Child Support to United States Central Authority
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The Virgin Islands Department of Justice, Division of Paternity and Child Support is recognized as the agency designated by the United States Central Authority to perform specific functions under the Convention.
16 V.I.C. § 446c Initiation by Virgin Islands Department of Justice, Division of Paternity and Child Support of proceeding under Convention
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(a) In a support proceeding under this article the Division of Paternity and Child Support shall:(1) transmit and receive applications; and(2) initiate or facilitate the institution of a proceeding regarding an application in a tribunal of the Virgin Islands. (1) transmit and rec…
16 V.I.C. § 446d Direct request
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(a) A petitioner may file a direct request seeking establishment or modification of a support order or determination of parentage of a child. In the proceeding, the law of the Virgin Islands applies. (b) A petitioner may file a direct request seeking recognition and enforcement o…
16 V.I.C. § 446e Registration of Convention support order
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(a) Except as otherwise provided in this article, a party who is an individual or a support enforcement agency seeking recognition of a Convention support order shall register the order in Virgin Islands as provided in Article F. (b) Notwithstanding sections 411 and 433(a), a req…
16 V.I.C. § 446f Contest of registered Convention support order
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(a) Except as otherwise provided in this article, sections 436 through 439 apply to a contest of a registered Convention support order. (b) A party contesting a registered Convention support order shall file a contest not later than 30 days after notice of the registration, but i…
16 V.I.C. § 446g Recognition and enforcement of registered Convention support order
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(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), a tribunal of the Virgin Islands shall recognize and enforce a registered Convention support order. (b) The following grounds are the only grounds on which a tribunal of the Virgin Islands may refuse recognition and enforcement …
16 V.I.C. § 446h Partial enforcement
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If a tribunal of the Virgin Islands does not recognize and enforce a Convention support order in its entirety, it shall enforce any severable part of the order. An application or direct request may seek recognition and partial enforcement of a Convention support order.
16 V.I.C. § 446i Foreign support agreement
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(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (c) and (d), a tribunal of the Virgin Islands shall recognize and enforce a foreign support agreement registered in the Virgin Islands. (b) An application or direct request for recognition and enforcement of a foreign support agreem…
16 V.I.C. § 446j Modification of Convention child-support order
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(a) A tribunal of the Virgin Islands may not modify a Convention child-support order if the obligee remains a resident of the foreign country where the support order was issued unless:(1) the obligee submits to the jurisdiction of a tribunal of the Virgin Islands, either expressl…
16 V.I.C. § 446k Personal information; limitation on use
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Personal information gathered or transmitted under this article may be used only for the purposes for which it was gathered or transmitted.
16 V.I.C. § 446l Record in original language; English
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A record filed with a tribunal of the Virgin Islands under this article must be in the original language and, if not in English, must be accompanied by an English translation.
16 V.I.C. § 447 Grounds for rendition
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(a) For purposes of this article, “Governor” includes an individual performing the functions of Governor or the executive authority of a state covered by this subchapter. (b) The Governor of the Virgin Islands may:(1) demand that the Governor of another state surrender an individ…
16 V.I.C. § 447a Conditions of rendition
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(a) Before making a demand that the Governor of another slate surrender an individual charged criminally in the Virgin Islands with having failed to provide for the support of an obligee, the Governor of the Virgin Islands may require a prosecutor of the Virgin Islands to demonst…
16 V.I.C. § 449a Uniformity of application and construction
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In applying and construing this subchapter, consideration must be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, as amended in 2008.
16 V.I.C. § 449b Transitional provision
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This subchapter applies to proceedings begun on or after the effective date of this subchapter to establish a support order or determine parentage of a child or to register, recognize, enforce, or modify a prior support order, determination, or agreement, whenever issued or enter…
16 V.I.C. § 449c Severability
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If any provision of this subchapter or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this subchapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the pro…
16 V.I.C. § 449d Controlling subchapter
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If a provision of this subchapter is inconsistent with a provision of subchapter I of this chapter, this subchapter controls.
16 V.I.C. § 452 Purposes [Repealed]
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16 V.I.C. § 452 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
16 V.I.C. § 453 Responding to another state's request [Repealed]
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16 V.I.C. § 453 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
16 V.I.C. § 454 Requests to another state to enforce a support order [Repealed]
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16 V.I.C. § 454 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
16 V.I.C. § 455 Manner in which request is made [Repealed]
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16 V.I.C. § 455 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
16 V.I.C. § 456 Case ownership [Repealed]
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16 V.I.C. § 456 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
16 V.I.C. § 457 Actions to be taken [Repealed]
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16 V.I.C. § 457 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
16 V.I.C. § 461 Repealed. Apr. 27, 1998, No. 6228, § 18, Sess. L. 1998, p. 318
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16 V.I.C. § 461 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.
16 V.I.C. § 462 Repealed. Apr. 27, 1998, No. 6228, § 18, Sess. L. 1998, p. 318
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16 V.I.C. § 462 Statutes current through Act 9046 of the 2025 session of the 36th Legislature, including all code changes through October 25, 2025 Virgin Islands Code AnnotatedCopyright © 2026 All rights reserved.