§ 19-11-126 — Support enforcement agency's services; determining controlling order; foreign currency conversion; enforcement of support order and income withholding order of another state; absence of fiduciary relationship

(a) A support enforcement agency of this state, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this article. (b) A support enforcement agency of this state that is providing services to the petitioner shall: (1) Take all steps necessary to enable an appropriate tribunal of Georgia, another state, or a foreign country to obtain jurisdiction over the respondent; (2) Request an appropriate tribunal to set a date, time, and place for a hearing; (3) Make a reasonable effort to obtain all relevant information, including information as to income and property of the parties; (4) Within five days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receipt of a written notice in a record from an initiating, responding, or registering tribunal, send a copy of the notice to the petitioner or other appropriate agency; (5) Within five days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receipt of a written communication in a record from the respondent or the respondent's attorney, send a copy of the communication to the petitioner; and (6) Notify the petitioner if jurisdiction over the respondent cannot be obtained. (c) A support enforcement agency of this state that requests registration of a child support order in this state for enforcement or for modification shall make reasonable efforts: (1) To ensure that the order to be registered is the controlling order; or (2) If two or more child support orders exist and the identity of the controlling order has not been determined, to ensure that a request for such a determination is made in a tribunal having jurisdiction to do so. (d) A support enforcement agency of this state that requests registration and enforcement of a support order, arrears, or judgment stated in a foreign currency shall convert the amounts stated in the foreign currency into the equivalent amounts in dollars under the applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported. (e) A support enforcement agency of this state shall issue or request a tribunal of Georgia to issue a child support order and an income withholding order that redirect payment of current support, arrears, and interest if requested to do so by a support enforcement agency of another state pursuant to Code Section 19-11-138 . (f) This article does not create a relationship of attorney-client or other fiduciary relationship between a support enforcement agency or the attorney for the agency and the individual being assisted by the agency.

Legislative History

Amended by 2013 Ga. Laws 224,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2013.