2009 Missouri Revised Statutes
Title XXX DOMESTIC RELATIONS
Chapter 454 Enforcement of Support Law
454.020. Definitions.
Definitions.
454.020. In sections 454.010 to 454.360 unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) "Certification" shall be in accordance with the laws of the certifying state.
(2) "Court" means the circuit court of this state and, when the context requires, means the court of any other state as defined in a substantially similar reciprocal law.
(3) "Duty of support" includes any duty of support imposed or imposable by law, or by any court order, decree or judgment, whether interlocutory or final, whether incidental to a proceeding for divorce, legal separation, separate maintenance or otherwise, and includes the duty to pay arrearages of support payments which are past due and unpaid.
(4) "Governor" includes any person performing the functions of governor or the executive authority of any territory covered by the provisions of sections 454.010 to 454.360.
(5) "Initiating court" means the court in which a proceeding is commenced.
(6) "Initiating state" means any state in which a proceeding pursuant to this or a substantially similar reciprocal law is commenced.
(7) "Law" includes both common and statute law.
(8) "Obligee" means any person to whom a duty of support is owed and a state or political subdivision thereof.
(9) "Obligor" means any person owing a duty of support.
(10) "Register" means to file in the Registry of Foreign Support Orders as required by the court.
(11) "Registering court" means any court of this state in which the support order of the rendering state is registered.
(12) "Rendering state" means any state in which a support order is originally entered.
(13) "Responding court" means the court in which the responsive proceeding is commenced.
(14) "Responding state" means any state in which any proceeding pursuant to the proceeding in the initiating state is or may be commenced.
(15) "State" includes any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any foreign jurisdiction in which this or a substantially similar reciprocal law has been enacted.
(16) "Support order" means any judgment, decree or order of support, whether temporary or final, whether subject to modification, revocation or remission, regardless of the kind of action in which it is entered.
(L. 1959 S.B. 118, A.L. 1982 S.B. 468)
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