What is a Foreign Child Support Order?

By Emily Barry

Cordell & Cordell Divorce Lawyer

When you have a child support order in place and you move to another state, you may receive a Foreign Child Support Order in the mail.

So what is this and how does it affect you? Does this mean that your new state will have jurisdiction over your child support case?

With your move to a new state, the Foreign Child Support Order will allow the state you now reside in to have enforcement authority over the support obligation established by the original state where your child support case was heard.

This enforcement power over a child support order from a foreign state is based on a number of federal and state laws that ensure interstate support enforcement, namely the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), which has been enacted in all jurisdictions; the Full Faith and Credit for Child Support Orders Act (FFCCSOA); and the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (UEFJA).

The FFCCSOA and UIFSA interact together. The federal statute establishes jurisdictional requirements for state courts to recognize, enforce, and modify orders of sister states, while your state’s statute lays out the requirements for the state to make original orders, recognize foreign orders, and modify any outstanding order.

Due to the particularities of each state’s laws, you should always consult an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

Cordell & Cordell has men’s divorce lawyers located nationwide should you seek additional legal advice or representation.

 

Emily J. Barry is a Staff Attorney with the Indianapolis office of Cordell & Cordell, where she practices family law exclusively with a focus on men’s divorce. She is licensed in the state of Indiana, and US District Courts of Northern and Southern Indiana. Ms. Barry is also a certified mediator in the state of Michigan. Ms. Barry received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Hispanic Studies cum laude from Connecticut College. Later, she received her Juris Doctor from Michigan State University College of Law with a concentration in Alternative Dispute Resolution.

End of Content Icon

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *