{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-88.32.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-88.32.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-88.32.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-88.32.html"}],"law_id":85713,"edition_id":1,"section_id":85713,"structure_id":15253,"section_number":"20-88.32","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1994, c. 673; 1995, c. 484; 1996, cc. 882, 925; 1997, cc. 797, 897; 1998, c. 727; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727.","full_text":"In this chapter:\n\t\t“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.\n\t\t“Child support order” means a support order for a child, including a child who has attained the age of majority under the law of the issuing state or foreign country.\n\t\t“Convention” means the Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, concluded at The Hague on November 23, 2007.\n\t\t“Duty of support” means an obligation imposed or imposable by law to provide support for a child, spouse, or former spouse, including an unsatisfied obligation to provide support.\n\t\t“Employer” means the source of any income as defined in \u00a7 63.2-1900.\n\t\t“Foreign country” means a country, including a political subdivision thereof, other than the United States, that authorizes the issuance of support orders and:\n\n1\n\nThat has been declared under the law of the United States to be a foreign reciprocating country;2\n\nThat has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with the Commonwealth as provided in § 20-88.50;3\n\nThat has enacted a law or established procedures for the issuance and enforcement of support orders which are substantially similar to the procedures under this chapter; or4\n\nIn which the Convention is in force with respect to the United States.\n\t\t\t“Foreign support order” means a support order of a foreign tribunal.\n\t\t\t“Foreign tribunal” means a court, administrative agency, or quasi-judicial entity of a foreign country which is authorized to establish, enforce, or modify support orders or to determine parentage of a child. The term includes a competent authority under the Convention.\n\t\t\t“Home state” means the state or foreign country in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as parent for at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the time of filing of a petition or comparable pleading for support and, if a child is less than six months old, the state or foreign country in which the child lived from birth with any of them. A period of temporary absence of any of them is counted as part of the six-month or other period.\n\t\t\t“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 the Commonwealth.\n\t\t\t“Income-withholding order” means an order or other legal process directed to an obligor’s employer or other debtor, to withhold support from the obligor’s income as defined in § 63.2-1900.\n\t\t\t“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.\n\t\t\t“Issuing foreign country” means the foreign country in which a tribunal issues a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child.\n\t\t\t“Issuing state” means the state in which a tribunal issues a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child.\n\t\t\t“Issuing tribunal” means the tribunal of a state or foreign country that issues a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child.\n\t\t\t“Law” includes decisional and statutory law and rules and regulations having the force of law.\n\t\t\t“Obligee” means (i) an individual to whom a duty of support is or is alleged to be owed or in whose favor a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child has been issued, (ii) a foreign country, state, or political subdivision of a state to which the rights under a duty of support or support order have been assigned or which has independent claims based on financial assistance provided to an individual obligee in place of child support, (iii) an individual seeking a judgment determining parentage of the individual’s child, or (iv) a person that is a creditor in a proceeding under Article 13 (§ 20-88.83 et seq.).\n\t\t\t“Obligor” means an individual, or the estate of a decedent that (i) owes or is alleged to owe a duty of support, (ii) is alleged but has not been adjudicated to be a parent of a child, (iii) is liable under a support order, or (iv) is a debtor in a proceeding under Article 13 (§ 20-88.83 et seq.).\n\t\t\t“Outside the Commonwealth” means a location in another state, political subdivision of a state, or a country other than the United States, whether or not the country is a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Person” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity.\n\t\t\t“Record” means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.\n\t\t\t“Register” means to file in a tribunal of the Commonwealth a support order or judgment determining parentage of a child issued in another state or a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Registering tribunal” means a tribunal in which a support order or judgment determining parentage of a child is registered.\n\t\t\t“Responding state” means a state or a foreign country in which a petition or comparable pleading for support or to determine parentage of a child is filed or to which a petition or comparable pleading is forwarded for filing from another state or a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Responding tribunal” means the authorized tribunal in a responding state or foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Spousal-support order” means a support order for a spouse or former spouse of the obligor.\n\t\t\t“State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands or any territory or insular possession under the jurisdiction of the United States. The term includes an Indian nation or tribe.\n\t\t\t“Support enforcement agency” means a public official, governmental entity, or private agency authorized to (i) seek enforcement of support orders or laws relating to the duty of support, (ii) seek establishment or modification of child support, (iii) request determination of parentage of a child, (iv) attempt to locate obligors or their assets, or (v) request determination of the controlling child support order. A support enforcement agency of the Commonwealth is not authorized to establish or enforce a support order for spousal support only.\n\t\t\t“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, which provides for monetary support, health care, arrearages, retroactive support, or reimbursement for financial assistance provided to an individual obligee in place of child support. The term may include related costs and fees, interest, income withholding, automatic adjustment, reasonable attorney’s fees, and other relief.\n\t\t\t“Tribunal” means a court, administrative agency, or quasi-judicial entity authorized to establish, enforce, or modify support orders or to determine parentage of a child; however, the support enforcement agency of the Commonwealth has no authority to establish or enforce a support order for spousal support only.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":306998,"text":"In this chapter:\n\t\t“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.\n\t\t“Child support order” means a support order for a child, including a child who has attained the age of majority under the law of the issuing state or foreign country.\n\t\t“Convention” means the Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, concluded at The Hague on November 23, 2007.\n\t\t“Duty of support” means an obligation imposed or imposable by law to provide support for a child, spouse, or former spouse, including an unsatisfied obligation to provide support.\n\t\t“Employer” means the source of any income as defined in \u00a7 63.2-1900.\n\t\t“Foreign country” means a country, including a political subdivision thereof, other than the United States, that authorizes the issuance of support orders and:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":306999,"text":"That has been declared under the law of the United States to be a foreign reciprocating country;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":307000,"text":"That has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with the Commonwealth as provided in § 20-88.50;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":307001,"text":"That has enacted a law or established procedures for the issuance and enforcement of support orders which are substantially similar to the procedures under this chapter; or","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":307002,"text":"In which the Convention is in force with respect to the United States.\n\t\t\t“Foreign support order” means a support order of a foreign tribunal.\n\t\t\t“Foreign tribunal” means a court, administrative agency, or quasi-judicial entity of a foreign country which is authorized to establish, enforce, or modify support orders or to determine parentage of a child. The term includes a competent authority under the Convention.\n\t\t\t“Home state” means the state or foreign country in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as parent for at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the time of filing of a petition or comparable pleading for support and, if a child is less than six months old, the state or foreign country in which the child lived from birth with any of them. A period of temporary absence of any of them is counted as part of the six-month or other period.\n\t\t\t“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 the Commonwealth.\n\t\t\t“Income-withholding order” means an order or other legal process directed to an obligor’s employer or other debtor, to withhold support from the obligor’s income as defined in § 63.2-1900.\n\t\t\t“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.\n\t\t\t“Issuing foreign country” means the foreign country in which a tribunal issues a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child.\n\t\t\t“Issuing state” means the state in which a tribunal issues a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child.\n\t\t\t“Issuing tribunal” means the tribunal of a state or foreign country that issues a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child.\n\t\t\t“Law” includes decisional and statutory law and rules and regulations having the force of law.\n\t\t\t“Obligee” means (i) an individual to whom a duty of support is or is alleged to be owed or in whose favor a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child has been issued, (ii) a foreign country, state, or political subdivision of a state to which the rights under a duty of support or support order have been assigned or which has independent claims based on financial assistance provided to an individual obligee in place of child support, (iii) an individual seeking a judgment determining parentage of the individual’s child, or (iv) a person that is a creditor in a proceeding under Article 13 (§ 20-88.83 et seq.).\n\t\t\t“Obligor” means an individual, or the estate of a decedent that (i) owes or is alleged to owe a duty of support, (ii) is alleged but has not been adjudicated to be a parent of a child, (iii) is liable under a support order, or (iv) is a debtor in a proceeding under Article 13 (§ 20-88.83 et seq.).\n\t\t\t“Outside the Commonwealth” means a location in another state, political subdivision of a state, or a country other than the United States, whether or not the country is a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Person” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity.\n\t\t\t“Record” means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.\n\t\t\t“Register” means to file in a tribunal of the Commonwealth a support order or judgment determining parentage of a child issued in another state or a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Registering tribunal” means a tribunal in which a support order or judgment determining parentage of a child is registered.\n\t\t\t“Responding state” means a state or a foreign country in which a petition or comparable pleading for support or to determine parentage of a child is filed or to which a petition or comparable pleading is forwarded for filing from another state or a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Responding tribunal” means the authorized tribunal in a responding state or foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Spousal-support order” means a support order for a spouse or former spouse of the obligor.\n\t\t\t“State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands or any territory or insular possession under the jurisdiction of the United States. The term includes an Indian nation or tribe.\n\t\t\t“Support enforcement agency” means a public official, governmental entity, or private agency authorized to (i) seek enforcement of support orders or laws relating to the duty of support, (ii) seek establishment or modification of child support, (iii) request determination of parentage of a child, (iv) attempt to locate obligors or their assets, or (v) request determination of the controlling child support order. A support enforcement agency of the Commonwealth is not authorized to establish or enforce a support order for spousal support only.\n\t\t\t“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, which provides for monetary support, health care, arrearages, retroactive support, or reimbursement for financial assistance provided to an individual obligee in place of child support. The term may include related costs and fees, interest, income withholding, automatic adjustment, reasonable attorney’s fees, and other relief.\n\t\t\t“Tribunal” means a court, administrative agency, or quasi-judicial entity authorized to establish, enforce, or modify support orders or to determine parentage of a child; however, the support enforcement agency of the Commonwealth has no authority to establish or enforce a support order for spousal support only.","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15253,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14136,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:53:20","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:53:20","permalink":{"id":178597,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15253,"identifier":"1","token":"20\/5.3\/1","url":"\/20\/5.3\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14136,"edition_id":1,"name":"Uniform Interstate Family Support Act","identifier":"5.3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12711,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:59","permalink":{"id":178595,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14136,"identifier":"5.3","token":"20\/5.3","url":"\/20\/5.3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12711,"edition_id":1,"name":"Domestic Relations","identifier":"20","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":178075,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12711,"identifier":"20","token":"20","url":"\/20\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":85713,"structure_id":15253,"section_number":"20-88.32","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/20-88.32\/","token":"20\/5.3\/1\/20-88.32","metadata":false},{"id":77901,"structure_id":15253,"section_number":"20-88.32:1","catch_line":"Uniformity of application and construction","url":"\/20-88.32_1\/","token":"20\/5.3\/1\/20-88.32_1","metadata":false},{"id":58061,"structure_id":15253,"section_number":"20-88.33","catch_line":"Tribunals of the Commonwealth and support enforcement agency","url":"\/20-88.33\/","token":"20\/5.3\/1\/20-88.33","metadata":false},{"id":87009,"structure_id":15253,"section_number":"20-88.34","catch_line":"Remedies cumulative","url":"\/20-88.34\/","token":"20\/5.3\/1\/20-88.34","metadata":false},{"id":73084,"structure_id":15253,"section_number":"20-88.34:1","catch_line":"Application of chapter to resident of foreign country and foreign support proceeding","url":"\/20-88.34_1\/","token":"20\/5.3\/1\/20-88.34_1","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":77901,"structure_id":15253,"section_number":"20-88.32:1","catch_line":"Uniformity of application and construction","url":"\/20-88.32_1\/","token":"20\/5.3\/1\/20-88.32_1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-88.32\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1994. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 673<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 6 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1995, chapter 484<\/a>; in 1996, chapters 882<\/a> and 925<\/a>; in 1997, chapters 797<\/a> and 897<\/a>; in 1998, chapter 727<\/a>; in 2005, chapter 754<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 727<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":81859,"section_number":"16.1-296","catch_line":"Jurisdiction of appeals; procedure","order_by":null,"url":"\/16.1-296\/"},{"id":73084,"section_number":"20-88.34:1","catch_line":"Application of chapter to resident of foreign country and foreign support proceeding","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.34_1\/"},{"id":77267,"section_number":"20-88.77:1","catch_line":"Jurisdiction to modify support order of another state when individual parties reside in this Commonwealth","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.77_1\/"},{"id":82126,"section_number":"20-88.83","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.83\/"},{"id":63851,"section_number":"20-88.84","catch_line":"Applicability","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.84\/"},{"id":54048,"section_number":"63.2-1900","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1900\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":77249,"section_number":"20-88.50","catch_line":"Duties of support enforcement agency","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.50\/"},{"id":82126,"section_number":"20-88.83","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.83\/"},{"id":54048,"section_number":"63.2-1900","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1900\/"}],"permalink":{"id":178599,"object_type":"law","relational_id":85713,"identifier":"20-88.32","token":"20\/5.3\/1\/20-88.32","url":"\/20-88.32\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-88.32\/","token":"20\/5.3\/1\/20-88.32","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-88.32","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

In this chapter:\n\t\t“Child” means an individual, whether over or under the age of majority, who is or is alleged to be owed a duty of support<\/span> by the individual’s parent or who is or is alleged to be the beneficiary of a support order directed to the parent.\n\t\t“Child support order<\/span>” means a support order for a child, including a child who has attained the age of majority under the law<\/span> of the issuing state<\/span> or foreign country<\/span>.\n\t\t“Convention<\/span>” means the Convention<\/span> on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, concluded at The Hague on November 23, 2007.\n\t\t“Duty of support<\/span>” means an obligation imposed or imposable by law<\/span> to provide support for a child, spouse, or former spouse, including an unsatisfied obligation to provide support.\n\t\t“Employer<\/span>” means the source of any income<\/span> as defined in \u00a7 63.2-1900<\/a>.\n\t\t“Foreign country<\/span>” means a country, including a political subdivision thereof, other than the United States<\/span>, that authorizes the issuance of support orders<\/span> and:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> That has been declared under the law<\/span> of the United States<\/span> to be a foreign reciprocating country; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> That has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with the Commonwealth as provided in § 20-88.50<\/a>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> That has enacted a law<\/span> or established procedures for the issuance and enforcement of support orders<\/span> which are substantially similar to the procedures under this chapter; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> In which the Convention<\/span> is in force with respect to the United States<\/span>.\n\t\t\t“Foreign support order<\/span>” means a support order of a foreign tribunal<\/span>.\n\t\t\t“Foreign tribunal<\/span>” means a court<\/span>, administrative agency, or quasi-judicial entity of a foreign country which is authorized to establish, enforce, or modify support orders<\/span> or to determine parentage of a child. The term includes a competent authority under the Convention<\/span>.\n\t\t\t“Home state<\/span>” means the state or foreign country in which a child lived with a parent or a person<\/span> acting as parent for at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the time of filing of a petition<\/span> or comparable pleading for support and, if a child is less than six months old, the state or foreign country in which the child lived from birth with any of them. A period of temporary absence of any of them is counted as part of the six-month or other period.\n\t\t\t“Income<\/span>” includes earnings or other periodic entitlements to money from any source and any other property subject to withholding for support under the law<\/span> of the Commonwealth.\n\t\t\t“Income<\/span>-withholding order<\/span>” means an order or other legal process directed to an obligor<\/span>’s employer<\/span> or other debtor, to withhold support from the obligor<\/span>’s income<\/span> as defined in § 63.2-1900<\/a>.\n\t\t\t“Initiating tribunal<\/span>” means the tribunal of a state or foreign country from which a petition<\/span> or comparable pleading is forwarded or in which a petition<\/span> or comparable pleading is filed for forwarding to another state or foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Issuing foreign country<\/span>” means the foreign country in which a tribunal issues<\/span> a support order or a judgment<\/span> determining parentage of a child.\n\t\t\t“Issuing state<\/span>” means the state in which a tribunal issues<\/span> a support order or a judgment<\/span> determining parentage of a child.\n\t\t\t“Issuing tribunal<\/span>” means the tribunal of a state or foreign country that issues<\/span> a support order or a judgment<\/span> determining parentage of a child.\n\t\t\t“Law<\/span>” includes decisional and statutory law<\/span> and rules and regulations having the force of law<\/span>.\n\t\t\t“Obligee<\/span>” means (i) an individual to whom a duty of support<\/span> is or is alleged to be owed or in whose favor a support order or a judgment<\/span> determining parentage of a child has been issued, (ii) a foreign country, state, or political subdivision of a state to which the rights under a duty of support<\/span> or support order have been assigned or which has independent claims based on financial assistance provided to an individual obligee<\/span> in place of child support, (iii) an individual seeking a judgment<\/span> determining parentage of the individual’s child, or (iv) a person<\/span> that is a creditor<\/span> in a proceeding under Article 13 (§ 20-88.83<\/a> et seq.).\n\t\t\t“Obligor<\/span>” means an individual, or the estate of a decedent that (i) owes or is alleged to owe a duty of support<\/span>, (ii) is alleged but has not been adjudicated to be a parent of a child, (iii) is liable under a support order, or (iv) is a debtor in a proceeding under Article 13 (§ 20-88.83<\/a> et seq.).\n\t\t\t“Outside the Commonwealth<\/span>” means a location in another state, political subdivision of a state, or a country other than the United States<\/span>, whether or not the country is a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Person<\/span>” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity.\n\t\t\t“Record<\/span>” means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.\n\t\t\t“Register<\/span>” means to file in a tribunal of the Commonwealth a support order or judgment<\/span> determining parentage of a child issued in another state or a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Registering tribunal<\/span>” means a tribunal in which a support order or judgment<\/span> determining parentage of a child is registered.\n\t\t\t“Responding state<\/span>” means a state or a foreign country in which a petition<\/span> or comparable pleading for support or to determine parentage of a child is filed or to which a petition<\/span> or comparable pleading is forwarded for filing from another state or a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Responding tribunal<\/span>” means the authorized tribunal in a responding state<\/span> or foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Spousal-support order<\/span>” means a support order for a spouse or former spouse of the obligor<\/span>.\n\t\t\t“State” means a state of the United States<\/span>, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States<\/span> Virgin Islands or any territory or insular possession<\/span> under the jurisdiction<\/span> of the United States<\/span>. The term includes an Indian nation or tribe.\n\t\t\t“Support enforcement agency<\/span>” means a public official, governmental entity, or private agency authorized to (i) seek enforcement of support orders<\/span> or laws<\/span> relating to the duty of support<\/span>, (ii) seek establishment or modification of child support, (iii) request determination of parentage of a child, (iv) attempt to locate obligors<\/span> or their assets<\/span>, or (v) request determination of the controlling child support order<\/span>. A support enforcement agency<\/span> of the Commonwealth is not authorized to establish or enforce a support order for spousal support only.\n\t\t\t“Support order” means a judgment<\/span>, decree<\/span>, 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, which provides for monetary support, health care, arrearages, retroactive support, or reimbursement for financial assistance provided to an individual obligee<\/span> in place of child support. The term may include related costs and fees, interest, income<\/span> withholding, automatic adjustment, reasonable attorney’s fees, and other relief.\n\t\t\t“Tribunal” means a court<\/span>, administrative agency, or quasi-judicial entity authorized to establish, enforce, or modify support orders<\/span> or to determine parentage of a child; however, the support enforcement agency<\/span> of the Commonwealth has no authority to establish or enforce a support order for spousal support only. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 20-88.32)\n\nIn this chapter:\n\t\t“Child” means an individual, whether over or under the age of\nmajority, who is or is alleged to be owed a duty of support by the\nindividual’s parent or who is or is alleged to be the beneficiary of a\nsupport order directed to the parent.\n\t\t“Child support order” means a support order for a child, including\na child who has attained the age of majority under the law of the issuing state\nor foreign country.\n\t\t“Convention” means the Convention on the International Recovery of\nChild Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, concluded at The Hague on\nNovember 23, 2007.\n\t\t“Duty of support” means an obligation imposed or imposable by law\nto provide support for a child, spouse, or former spouse, including an\nunsatisfied obligation to provide support.\n\t\t“Employer” means the source of any income as defined in \u00a7\n63.2-1900.\n\t\t“Foreign country” means a country, including a political\nsubdivision thereof, other than the United States, that authorizes the issuance\nof support orders and:\n\n1. That has been declared under the law of the United States to be a foreign\nreciprocating country;\n\n2. That has established a reciprocal arrangement for child support with the\nCommonwealth as provided in § 20-88.50;\n\n3. That has enacted a law or established procedures for the issuance and\nenforcement of support orders which are substantially similar to the procedures\nunder this chapter; or\n\n4. In which the Convention is in force with respect to the United States.\n\t\t\t“Foreign support order” means a support order of a foreign\ntribunal.\n\t\t\t“Foreign tribunal” means a court, administrative agency, or\nquasi-judicial entity of a foreign country which is authorized to establish,\nenforce, or modify support orders or to determine parentage of a child. The term\nincludes a competent authority under the Convention.\n\t\t\t“Home state” means the state or foreign country in which a child\nlived with a parent or a person acting as parent for at least six consecutive\nmonths immediately preceding the time of filing of a petition or comparable\npleading for support and, if a child is less than six months old, the state or\nforeign country in which the child lived from birth with any of them. A period\nof temporary absence of any of them is counted as part of the six-month or other\nperiod.\n\t\t\t“Income” includes earnings or other periodic entitlements to\nmoney from any source and any other property subject to withholding for support\nunder the law of the Commonwealth.\n\t\t\t“Income-withholding order” means an order or other legal process\ndirected to an obligor’s employer or other debtor, to withhold support\nfrom the obligor’s income as defined in § 63.2-1900.\n\t\t\t“Initiating tribunal” means the tribunal of a state or foreign\ncountry from which a petition or comparable pleading is forwarded or in which a\npetition or comparable pleading is filed for forwarding to another state or\nforeign country.\n\t\t\t“Issuing foreign country” means the foreign country in which a\ntribunal issues a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child.\n\t\t\t“Issuing state” means the state in which a tribunal issues a\nsupport order or a judgment determining parentage of a child.\n\t\t\t“Issuing tribunal” means the tribunal of a state or foreign\ncountry that issues a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a\nchild.\n\t\t\t“Law” includes decisional and statutory law and rules and\nregulations having the force of law.\n\t\t\t“Obligee” means (i) an individual to whom a duty of support is or\nis alleged to be owed or in whose favor a support order or a judgment\ndetermining parentage of a child has been issued, (ii) a foreign country, state,\nor political subdivision of a state to which the rights under a duty of support\nor support order have been assigned or which has independent claims based on\nfinancial assistance provided to an individual obligee in place of child\nsupport, (iii) an individual seeking a judgment determining parentage of the\nindividual’s child, or (iv) a person that is a creditor in a proceeding\nunder Article 13 (§ 20-88.83 et seq.).\n\t\t\t“Obligor” means an individual, or the estate of a decedent that\n(i) owes or is alleged to owe a duty of support, (ii) is alleged but has not\nbeen adjudicated to be a parent of a child, (iii) is liable under a support\norder, or (iv) is a debtor in a proceeding under Article 13 (§ 20-88.83 et\nseq.).\n\t\t\t“Outside the Commonwealth” means a location in another state,\npolitical subdivision of a state, or a country other than the United States,\nwhether or not the country is a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Person” means an individual, corporation, business trust,\nestate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint\nventure, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency, or\ninstrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity.\n\t\t\t“Record” means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium\nor that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in\nperceivable form.\n\t\t\t“Register” means to file in a tribunal of the Commonwealth a\nsupport order or judgment determining parentage of a child issued in another\nstate or a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Registering tribunal” means a tribunal in which a support order\nor judgment determining parentage of a child is registered.\n\t\t\t“Responding state” means a state or a foreign country in which a\npetition or comparable pleading for support or to determine parentage of a child\nis filed or to which a petition or comparable pleading is forwarded for filing\nfrom another state or a foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Responding tribunal” means the authorized tribunal in a\nresponding state or foreign country.\n\t\t\t“Spousal-support order” means a support order for a spouse or\nformer spouse of the obligor.\n\t\t\t“State” means a state of the United States, the District of\nColumbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands or any territory or\ninsular possession under the jurisdiction of the United States. The term\nincludes an Indian nation or tribe.\n\t\t\t“Support enforcement agency” means a public official,\ngovernmental entity, or private agency authorized to (i) seek enforcement of\nsupport orders or laws relating to the duty of support, (ii) seek establishment\nor modification of child support, (iii) request determination of parentage of a\nchild, (iv) attempt to locate obligors or their assets, or (v) request\ndetermination of the controlling child support order. A support enforcement\nagency of the Commonwealth is not authorized to establish or enforce a support\norder for spousal support only.\n\t\t\t“Support order” means a judgment, decree, order, decision, or\ndirective, whether temporary, final, or subject to modification, issued in a\nstate or foreign country for the benefit of a child, a spouse, or a former\nspouse, which provides for monetary support, health care, arrearages,\nretroactive support, or reimbursement for financial assistance provided to an\nindividual obligee in place of child support. The term may include related costs\nand fees, interest, income withholding, automatic adjustment, reasonable\nattorney’s fees, and other relief.\n\t\t\t“Tribunal” means a court, administrative agency, or\nquasi-judicial entity authorized to establish, enforce, or modify support orders\nor to determine parentage of a child; however, the support enforcement agency of\nthe Commonwealth has no authority to establish or enforce a support order for\nspousal support only.\n\nHISTORY: 1994, c. 673; 1995, c. 484; 1996, cc. 882, 925; 1997, cc. 797, 897;\n1998, c. 727; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}