Section 19-11-126. Support enforcement agency's services; determining controlling order; foreign currency conversion; enforcement of support order and income withholding order of another state; absence of fiduciary relationship

   (a) A support enforcement agency of this state, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this article.

(b) A support enforcement agency of this state that is providing services to the petitioner shall:

   (1) Take all steps necessary to enable an appropriate tribunal of Georgia, another state, or a foreign country to obtain jurisdiction over the respondent;

   (2) Request an appropriate tribunal to set a date, time, and place for a hearing;

   (3) Make a reasonable effort to obtain all relevant information, including information as to income and property of the parties;

   (4) Within five days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receipt of a written notice in a record from an initiating, responding, or registering tribunal, send a copy of the notice to the petitioner or other appropriate agency;

   (5) Within five days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays, after receipt of a written communication in a record from the respondent or the respondent's attorney, send a copy of the communication to the petitioner; and

   (6) Notify the petitioner if jurisdiction over the respondent cannot be obtained.

(c) A support enforcement agency of this state that requests registration of a child support order in this state for enforcement or for modification shall make reasonable efforts:

   (1) To ensure that the order to be registered is the controlling order; or

   (2) If two or more child support orders exist and the identity of the controlling order has not been determined, to ensure that a request for such a determination is made in a tribunal having jurisdiction to do so.

(d) A support enforcement agency of this state that requests registration and enforcement of a support order, arrears, or judgment stated in a foreign currency shall convert the amounts stated in the foreign currency into the equivalent amounts in dollars under the applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported.

(e) A support enforcement agency of this state shall issue or request a tribunal of Georgia to issue a child support order and an income withholding order that redirect payment of current support, arrears, and interest if requested to do so by a support enforcement agency of another state pursuant to Code Section 19-11-138.

(f) This article does not create a relationship of attorney-client or other fiduciary relationship between a support enforcement agency or the attorney for the agency and the individual being assisted by the agency.

Code 1981, § 19-11-126, enacted by Ga. L. 1997, p. 1613, § 33; Ga. L. 2013, p. 705, § 1/SB 193.