(a) Petitioner.--The petitioner may not be required to pay a filing fee or other costs.
(b) Obligor.--If an obligee prevails, a responding tribunal of this State may assess against an obligor filing fees, reasonable attorney 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 state or the responding state or foreign country except as provided by other law. Attorney 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) Dilatory actions.--The tribunal shall order the payment of costs and reasonable attorney fees if it determines that a hearing was requested primarily for delay. In a proceeding under Chapter 76 (relating to registration, enforcement and modification of support order), a hearing is presumed to have been requested primarily for delay if a registered support order is confirmed or enforced without change.
(Dec. 28, 2015, P.L.559, No.94, eff. imd.)
Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 73 - Civil Provisions of General Application
Section 7301 - Proceedings under this part
Section 7302 - Action by minor parent
Section 7303 - Application of law of this State
Section 7304 - Duties of initiating tribunal
Section 7305 - Duties and powers of responding tribunal
Section 7306 - Inappropriate tribunal
Section 7307 - Duties of support enforcement agency
Section 7308 - Supervisory duty
Section 7309 - Private counsel
Section 7310 - Duties of department
Section 7311 - Pleadings and accompanying documents
Section 7312 - Nondisclosure of information in exceptional circumstances
Section 7314 - Limited immunity of petitioner
Section 7315 - Nonparentage as defense
Section 7316 - Special rules of evidence and procedure
Section 7317 - Communications between tribunals