1. The attorney general may perform the legal services for the child support recovery program and may enforce all laws for the recovery of child support from responsible relatives. The attorney general may file and prosecute:

 a. Contempt of court proceedings to enforce any order of court pertaining to child support.
 b. Cases under chapter 252A, the support of dependents law.
 c. An information charging a violation of section 726.3, 726.5 or 726.6.
 d. Any other lawful action which will secure collection of support for minor children.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 252B.7

  • Child: includes but shall not be limited to a stepchild, foster child, or legally adopted child and means a child actually or apparently under eighteen years of age or a dependent person eighteen years of age or over who is unable to maintain the person's self and is likely to become a public charge. See Iowa Code 252B.1
  • clerk: means clerk of the court in which the action or proceeding is brought or is pending; and the words "clerk's office" mean the office of that clerk. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Court: shall mean and include any court upon which jurisdiction has been conferred to determine the liability of persons for the support of dependents. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Party: means a petitioner, a respondent, or a person who intervenes in a proceeding instituted under this chapter. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Unit: means the child support recovery unit created in section 252B. See Iowa Code 252B.1
 2. For the purposes of subsection 1, the attorney general has the same power to commence, file and prosecute any action or information in the proper jurisdiction, which the county attorney could file or prosecute in that jurisdiction. This section does not relieve a county attorney from the county attorney’s duties, or the attorney general from the supervisory power of the attorney general, in the recovery of child support.
 3. The unit may contract with a county attorney, the attorney general, a clerk of the district court, or another person or agency to collect support obligations and to administer the child support program established pursuant to this chapter. Notwithstanding section 13.7, the unit may contract with private attorneys for the prosecution of civil collection and recovery cases and may pay reasonable compensation and expenses to private attorneys for the prosecution services provided.
 4. An attorney employed by or under contract with the child support recovery unit represents and acts exclusively on behalf of the state when providing child support enforcement services. An attorney-client relationship does not exist between the attorney and an individual party, witness, or person other than the state, regardless of the name in which the action is brought.
  Previous section
Next section  
 Chapter 252B Contents