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- #help.tut Extra Help for tutorials
- #define.stb Definition of legal terms- on line glossary
- Tutorial on enforcement of Child Support/
- Alimony across State lines
-
-
- America is becoming a nation of transients. Recent
- statistics show 1 in 4 families moving every five years to a
- different state. A recurring problem is that child support,
- maintenance or alimony are awarded in a Court where the parties
- were residing at one time, and then one or both parties move to
- other states.
-
- URESA provides two important rights. First, if a person owing
- support, whether it be in a divorce, separation or paternity
- proceeding has moved to another State owing money, then the act
- provides an enforcement mechanism. Under URESA each state
- designates an office (either the prosecutor's office,
- city/county/state's attorney, the public welfare office, or a
- special office for support administration; call the clerk of your
- local city or county court, and they can help) where you present
- your problem. The Court or officer in your state (without filing
- fees or court costs) then forwards the petition to the Court
- where the person owing the support might be found. Then that
- Court enforces the obligation by contempt, installment payments,
- liens on property or other court action. Providing that the
- person who is delinquent can be found, (which is usually the
- problem) then the Courts of the other state will try to get all
- or some of the arreage, and will try to enforce compliance with
- the Orders for Support in the future.
-
- The second important right that URESA provides is that
- support orders will be registered from state to state, so that a
- public record exists of the fact the support, and arrearages if
- any. In virtually all cases a properly recorded order which finds
- that an arreage is due acts as a lien on the property of the
- delinquent party, so, if the delinquent party wants to get a
- loan, buy a car or engage in any financial transaction where a
- credit check will be run, the arreage will show up. Usually this
- results in some action being taken, provide that there is a way
- to do so, to clear the debt. Be sure to register the judgment
- wherever the other side may move.
-
- STATES WITH STANDARD URESA:
-
- Alaska
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Mane
- Maryland
- Missouri
- Oklahoma
- Puerto Rico
- Tennessee
- Vermont
-
-
- STATES ADOPTING REVISED URESA:
-
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
-
- STATES WITH NON-STANDARD ACTS:
-
- Georgia (Based on revised)
- Massachusetts (Based on original)
- New York
- Texas
- Virginia (Based on original)