52C-3-312. Costs and fees.
(a) The petitioner shall not be required to pay a filing fee or other costs.
(b) If an obligee prevails, a responding tribunal of this State may assess against an obligor filing fees, reasonable attorneys' fees, other costs, and necessary travel and other reasonable expenses incurred by the obligee and the obligee's witnesses. The tribunal may not assess fees, costs, or expenses against the obligee or the support enforcement agency of either the initiating or the responding state or foreign country, except as provided by other law. Attorneys' fees may be taxed as costs, and may be ordered paid directly to the attorney, who may enforce the order in the attorney's own name. Payment of support owed to the obligee has priority over fees, costs, and expenses.
(c) The tribunal shall order the payment of costs and reasonable attorneys' fees if it determines that a hearing was requested primarily for delay. In a proceeding under Article 6 of this Chapter, a hearing is presumed to have been requested primarily for delay if a registered support order is confirmed or enforced without change. (1995, c. 538, s. 7(c); 2015-117, s. 1.)
Structure North Carolina General Statutes
North Carolina General Statutes
Chapter 52C - Uniform Interstate Family Support Act
Article 3 - Civil Provisions of General Application.
§ 52C-3-301 - Proceedings under this Chapter.
§ 52C-3-302 - Proceeding by minor parent.
§ 52C-3-303 - Application of law of this State.
§ 52C-3-304 - Duties of initiating tribunal.
§ 52C-3-305 - Duties and powers of responding tribunal.
§ 52C-3-306 - Inappropriate tribunal.
§ 52C-3-307 - Duties of support enforcement agency.
§ 52C-3-308 - Duty of Department.
§ 52C-3-308.1 - Private counsel.
§ 52C-3-309 - Duties of State information agency.
§ 52C-3-310 - Pleadings and accompanying documents.
§ 52C-3-311 - Nondisclosure of information in exceptional circumstances.
§ 52C-3-313 - Limited immunity of petitioner.
§ 52C-3-314 - Nonparentage as defense.
§ 52C-3-315 - Special rules of evidence and procedure.
§ 52C-3-316 - Communications between tribunals.