(a) A support enforcement agency of this state, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter.
(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 issue or 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 § 9-17-319.
(f) This chapter 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.
Structure Arkansas Code
Subtitle 2 - Domestic Relations
Chapter 17 - Uniform Interstate Family Support Act
Article 3 - Civil Provisions of General Application
§ 9-17-301. Proceedings under chapter
§ 9-17-302. Proceeding by minor parent
§ 9-17-303. Application of law of state
§ 9-17-304. Duties of initiating tribunal
§ 9-17-305. Duties and powers of responding tribunal
§ 9-17-306. Inappropriate tribunal
§ 9-17-307. Duties of support enforcement agency
§ 9-17-308. Duty of prosecuting attorney
§ 9-17-310. Duties of state information agency
§ 9-17-311. Pleadings and accompanying documents
§ 9-17-312. Nondisclosure of information in exceptional circumstances
§ 9-17-314. Limited immunity of petitioner
§ 9-17-315. Nonparentage as defense
§ 9-17-316. Special rules of evidence and procedure
§ 9-17-317. Communications between tribunals