2A:4-30.146 Duties of support enforcement agency.

23. Duties of support enforcement agency.

a. In a proceeding under this act, a support enforcement agency of this State, upon request:

(1) shall provide services to a petitioner residing in a state;

(2) shall provide services to a petitioner requesting services through a central authority of a foreign country as described in paragraph (1) or (4) of subsection e. of section 2 of this act; and

(3) may provide services to a petitioner who is an individual not residing in a state.

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 this State, 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 two days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receipt of notice in a record from an initiating, responding, or registering tribunal, send a copy of the notice to the petitioner;

(5) within two days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receipt of 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 request a tribunal of this State 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 section 35 of this act.

f. This act does not create or negate a relationship of attorney and client or other fiduciary relationship between a support enforcement agency or the attorney for the agency and the individual being assisted by the agency.

L.2016, c.1, s.23.