1. Duties of responding tribunal. Upon receipt of a petition or comparable pleading from the state information agency, a responding tribunal shall cause the petition or pleading to be filed and notify the petitioner by first class mail where and when it was filed.

[PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 3005

  • Child: means an individual, whether over or under the age of majority, who is or is alleged to be owed a duty of support by the individual's parent or who is or is alleged to be the beneficiary of a support order directed to the parent. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 2802
  • Child support: means money paid directly to a parent, to another person or agency awarded parental rights and responsibilities with respect to a child or to the department on behalf of a child receiving public assistance and medical or dental insurance coverage provided on behalf of a child pursuant to court order. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 1501
  • Income: includes earnings or other periodic entitlements to money from any source and any other property subject to withholding for support under the law of this State. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 2802
  • Initiating tribunal: means the tribunal of a state or foreign country from which a petition or comparable pleading is forwarded or in which a petition or comparable pleading is filed for forwarding to another state or foreign country. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 2802
  • Law: includes decisional and statutory law and rules and regulations having the force of law. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 2802
  • Obligor: means an individual or the estate of a decedent:
A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 2802
  • Responding tribunal: means the authorized tribunal in a responding state or foreign country. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 2802
  • state: includes an Indian nation or tribe. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 2802
  • Support order: means a judgment, decree, order, decision or directive, whether temporary, final or subject to modification, issued in a state or foreign country for the benefit of a child, a spouse or a former spouse, that provides for monetary support, health care, arrearages, retroactive support or reimbursement for financial assistance provided to an individual obligee in place of child support. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 2802
  • Tribunal: means a court, administrative agency or quasi-judicial entity authorized to establish, enforce or modify support orders or to determine parentage. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 2802
  • tribunal of this State: means the District Court or the Department of Health and Human Services. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 19-A Sec. 2802
    • 2. Powers of responding tribunal. A responding tribunal of this State, to the extent not prohibited by other law, may:
    A. Establish or enforce a support order, modify a child support order, determine the controlling child support order or render a judgment to determine parentage of a child; [PL 2009, c. 95, §37 (AMD); PL 2009, c. 95, §87 (AFF).]
    B. Order an obligor to comply with a support order, specifying the amount and the manner of compliance; [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]
    C. Order income withholding; [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]
    D. Determine the amount of any arrearages and specify a method of payment; [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]
    E. Enforce orders by civil or criminal contempt, or both; [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]
    F. Set aside property for satisfaction of the support order; [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]
    G. Place liens and order execution on the obligor’s property; [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]
    H. Order an obligor to keep the tribunal informed of the obligor’s current residential address, e-mail address, telephone number, employer, address of employment and telephone number at the place of employment; [PL 2009, c. 95, §38 (AMD); PL 2009, c. 95, §87 (AFF).]
    I. Issue a capias for an obligor who has failed after proper notice to appear at a hearing ordered by the tribunal and enter the capias in any local and state computer systems for criminal warrants; [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]
    J. Order the obligor to seek appropriate employment by specified methods; [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]
    K. Award reasonable attorney’s fees and other fees and costs; or [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]
    L. Grant any other available remedy. [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

    [PL 2009, c. 95, §§ 37, 38 (AMD); PL 2009, c. 95, §87 (AFF).]

    3. Calculations included. A responding tribunal of this State shall include in a support order issued under this chapter, or in the documents accompanying the order, the calculations on which the support order is based.

    [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

    4. Support not conditional on visitation. A responding tribunal of this State may not condition the payment of a support order issued under this chapter upon compliance by a party with provisions for visitation.

    [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

    5. Copies of order. If a responding tribunal of this State issues an order under this chapter, the tribunal shall send a copy of the order by first class mail to the petitioner and the respondent and to the initiating tribunal, if any.

    [PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. B, §2 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 694, Pt. E, §2 (AFF).]

    6. Convert foreign currency amount to dollar amount. If requested to enforce a support order, arrears or judgment or modify a support order stated in a foreign currency, a responding tribunal of this State shall convert the amount stated in the foreign currency to the equivalent amount in dollars under the applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported.

    [PL 2003, c. 436, §16 (NEW).]

    SECTION HISTORY

    PL 1995, c. 694, §B2 (NEW). PL 1995, c. 694, §E2 (AFF). PL 2003, c. 436, §§15,16 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 95, §§37, 38 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 95, §87 (AFF).
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