(a) The petitioner may 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 attorney's fee, 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. Attorney's 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 attorney's fees if it determines that a hearing was requested primarily for delay. In a proceeding under part VI [§§48-16-601 through 48-16-615], a hearing is presumed to have been requested primarily for delay if a registered support order is confirmed or enforced without change.
Structure West Virginia Code
Chapter 48. Domestic Relations
Article 16. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act
§48-16-103. State Tribunal and Support Enforcement Agency
§48-16-104. Remedies Cumulative
§48-16-105. Application of Article to Resident of Foreign Country and Foreign Support Proceeding
§48-16-201. Bases for Jurisdiction Over Nonresident
§48-16-202. Duration of Personal Jurisdiction
§48-16-203. Initiating and Responding Tribunal of State
§48-16-204. Simultaneous Proceedings
§48-16-205. Continuing, Exclusive Jurisdiction to Modify Child Support Order
§48-16-206. Continuing Jurisdiction to Enforce Child Support Order
§48-16-207. Determination of Controlling Child Support Order
§48-16-208. Child Support Orders for Two or More Obligees
§48-16-209. Credit for Payments
§48-16-210. Application of Article to Nonresident Subject to Personal Jurisdiction
§48-16-211. Continuing, Exclusive Jurisdiction to Modify Spousal Support Order
§48-16-301. Proceeding Under Article
§48-16-302. Proceeding by Minor Parent
§48-16-303. Application of Law of State
§48-16-304. Duties of Initiating Tribunal
§48-16-305. Duties and Powers of Responding Tribunal
§48-16-306. Inappropriate Tribunal
§48-16-307. Duties of Support Enforcement Agency
§48-16-310. Duties of State Information Agency
§48-16-311. Pleadings and Accompanying Documents
§48-16-312. Nondisclosure of Information in Exceptional Circumstances
§48-16-314.Limited. Immunity of Petitioner
§48-16-315. Nonparentage as Defense
§48-16-316. Special Rules of Evidence and Procedure
§48-16-317. Communications Between Tribunals
§48-16-318. Assistance With Discovery
§48-16-319. Receipt and Disbursement of Payments
§48-16-401. Petition to Establish Support Order
§48-16-402. Proceeding to Determine Parentage
§48-16-501. Employer's Receipt of Income Withholding Order of Another State
§48-16-502. Employer's Compliance With Income Withholding Order of Another State
§48-16-503. Employer's Compliance With Two or More Income Withholding Orders
§48-16-504. Immunity From Civil Liability
§48-16-505. Penalties for Noncompliance
§48-16-506. Contest by Obligor
§48-16-507. Administrative Enforcement of Orders
§48-16-601. Registration of Order for Enforcement
§48-16-602. Procedure to Register Order for Enforcement
§48-16-603. Effect of Registration for Enforcement
§48-16-605. Notice of Registration of Order
§48-16-606. Procedure to Contest Validity or Enforcement of Registered Support Order
§48-16-607. Contest of Registration or Enforcement
§48-16-609. Procedure to Register Child Support Order of Another State for Modification
§48-16-610. Effect of Registration for Modification
§48-16-611. Modification of Child Support Order of Another State
§48-16-612. Recognition of Order Modified in Another State
§48-16-614. Notice to Issuing Tribunal of Modification
§48-16-615. Jurisdiction to Modify Child Support Order of Foreign Country
§48-16-616. Procedure to Register Child Support Order of Foreign Country for Modification
§48-16-703. Relationship of Bureau for Child Support Enforcement to United States Central Authority
§48-16-704. Initiation by Bureau for Child Support Enforcement Proceeding Under Convention
§48-16-706. Registration of Convention Support Order
§48-16-707. Contest of Registered Convention Support Order
§48-16-708. Recognition and Enforcement of Registered Convention Support Order
§48-16-709. Partial Enforcement
§48-16-710. Foreign Support Agreement
§48-16-711. Modification of Convention Child Support Order
§48-16-712. Personal Information: Limit on Use
§48-16-713. Record Original Language: English Translation
§48-16-801. Grounds for Rendition
§48-16-802. Conditions of Rendition
§48-16-901. Uniformity of Application and Construction