A. Upon filing of a certified copy of a foreign order for support containing an income withholding provision, the clerk of the district court shall docket the case and inform the obligee of this action. The foreign order for support filed in accordance with this section shall constitute a legal basis for income withholding in this state. Upon filing the order, together with a notice to withhold income, the order may be served upon the payor and obligor by prepaid certified mail or by any method provided by law for service of summons. The payor shall promptly notify the obligor of receipt of service. Proof of service shall be filed with the clerk of the district court. The obligor may contest the validity or enforcement of the income withholding by filing a petition to stay income withholding within twenty days after service of the order and notice. If the obligor files a petition to stay, the court shall hear and resolve the matter no later than forty-five days following service of the order and notice to withhold. The procedure and grounds for contesting the validity and enforcement of the income withholding are the same as those available for contesting an income withholding notice and order in this state. The obligor shall give notice of the petition to stay to the support enforcement agency providing services to the obligee, the person or agency designated to receive payments in the income withholding notice, or if there is no designated person or agency, the obligee.

B. Filing of the order for support shall not confer jurisdiction on the courts of this state for any purpose other than income withholding.

C. If the obligor presents evidence that constitutes a full or partial defense, the court shall, on the request of the obligee, continue the case to permit further evidence relative to the defense to be adduced by either party; provided, however, the court shall order immediate execution as to any undisputed amounts as set forth in Subsection A of Section 40-4A-9 NMSA 1978.

D. In addition to other procedural devices available to a party, any party to the proceeding may adduce testimony of witnesses in another state, including the parties and any of the children, by deposition, written discovery, photographic discovery such as videotaped depositions, telephone or photographic means. The court on its own motion may direct that the testimony of a person be taken in another state and may prescribe the manner and terms upon which the testimony shall be taken.

E. A court of this state may request the appropriate court or agency of another state to hold a hearing to adduce evidence, to permit a deposition to be taken before the court or agency or to order a party to produce or give evidence under other procedures of that state and may request that certified copies of the evidence adduced in compliance with the request be forwarded to the court of this state.

F. Upon request of a court or agency of another state, a court of this state may order a person in this state to appear at a hearing or deposition before the court to adduce evidence or to produce or give evidence under other procedures available in this state. A certified copy of the evidence adduced, such as a transcript or videotape, shall be forwarded by the clerk of the district court to the requesting court or agency.

G. A person within this state may voluntarily testify by statement or affidavit in this state for use in a proceeding to obtain income withholding outside this state.

History: Laws 1985, ch. 105, § 12; 1990, ch. 30, § 6; 1993, ch. 254, § 3.

The 1993 amendment, effective June 18, 1993, rewrote Subsection A; in Subsection B, substituted "Filing" for "Registration" at the beginning and deleted "unless otherwise permitted by law" at the end; and deleted former Subsection H, concerning the modification or nullification of orders of support.

The 1990 amendment, effective May 16, 1990, added "by registration of foreign support order" in the catchline; in Subsection C, substituted "Section 40-4A-9 NMSA 1978" for "Section 9 of the Support Enforcement Act" and made a minor stylistic change; and substituted "Subsection A of this section" for "Subsection A of section 12 of the Support Enforcement Act" in the first sentence in Subsection H.