2006 Code of Virginia § 20-88.48 - Duties and powers of responding tribunal

20-88.48. Duties and powers of responding tribunal.

A. When a responding tribunal of the Commonwealth receives a petition orcomparable pleading from an initiating tribunal or directly pursuant tosubsection B of 20-88.44, it shall cause the petition or pleading to befiled and notify the petitioner where and when it was filed. An order forspousal support only shall be forwarded to the appropriate juvenile anddomestic relations court.

B. A responding tribunal of the Commonwealth, to the extent not prohibited byother law, may do one or more of the following:

1. Issue or enforce a support order, modify a child support order, determinethe controlling child support order, or determine parentage;

2. Order an obligor to comply with a support order, specifying the amount andthe manner of compliance;

3. Order income withholding;

4. Determine the amount of any arrearages, and specify a method of payment;

5. Enforce orders by civil or criminal contempt, or both;

6. Set aside property for satisfaction of the support order;

7. Place liens and order execution on the obligor's property;

8. Order an obligor to keep the tribunal informed of the obligor's currentresidential address, telephone number, employer, address of employment, andtelephone number at the place of employment;

9. Issue a capias for an obligor who has failed after proper notice to appearat a hearing ordered by the tribunal and enter the capias in any local andstate computer systems for criminal warrants;

10. Order the obligor to seek appropriate employment by specified methods;

11. Award reasonable attorney's fees and other fees and costs; and

12. Grant any other available remedy.

C. A responding tribunal of the Commonwealth shall include in a support orderissued under this chapter or in the documents accompanying the order, thecalculations on which the support order is based.

D. A responding tribunal of the Commonwealth may not condition the payment ofa support order issued under this chapter upon compliance by a party withprovisions for visitation.

E. If a responding tribunal of the Commonwealth issues an order under thischapter, the tribunal shall promptly send a copy of the order to thepetitioner and the respondent and to the initiating tribunal, if any.

F. If requested to enforce a support order, arrears, or judgment or modify asupport order stated in a foreign currency, a responding tribunal of theCommonwealth shall convert the amount stated in the foreign currency to theequivalent amount in U.S. dollars under the applicable official or marketexchange rate as publicly reported.

(1994, c. 673; 1996, cc. 882, 925; 1997, cc. 797, 897; 2005, c. 754.)