{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-88.44.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-88.44.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-88.44.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-88.44.html"}],"law_id":64441,"edition_id":1,"section_id":64441,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.44","catch_line":"Proceedings under this chapter","history":"1994, c. 673; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727.","full_text":"A\n\nExcept as otherwise provided in this chapter, this article applies to all proceedings under this chapter.B\n\nAn individual or a support enforcement agency may initiate a proceeding authorized under this chapter by filing a petition in an initiating tribunal for forwarding to a responding tribunal or by filing a petition or a comparable pleading directly in a tribunal of another state or foreign country that has or can obtain personal jurisdiction over the respondent.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":234497,"text":"Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, this article applies to all proceedings under this chapter.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":234498,"text":"An individual or a support enforcement agency may initiate a proceeding authorized under this chapter by filing a petition in an initiating tribunal for forwarding to a responding tribunal or by filing a petition or a comparable pleading directly in a tribunal of another state or foreign country that has or can obtain personal jurisdiction over the respondent.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14205,"edition_id":1,"name":"Civil Provisions of General 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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":64441,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.44","catch_line":"Proceedings under this chapter","url":"\/20-88.44\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.44","metadata":false},{"id":75001,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.45","catch_line":"Action by minor parent","url":"\/20-88.45\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.45","metadata":false},{"id":61905,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.46","catch_line":"Application of law of the Commonwealth","url":"\/20-88.46\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.46","metadata":false},{"id":78091,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.47","catch_line":"Duties of initiating tribunal","url":"\/20-88.47\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.47","metadata":false},{"id":79696,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.48","catch_line":"Duties and powers of 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defense","url":"\/20-88.58\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.58","metadata":false},{"id":64575,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.59","catch_line":"Special rules of evidence and procedure","url":"\/20-88.59\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.59","metadata":false},{"id":55870,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.60","catch_line":"Communications between tribunals","url":"\/20-88.60\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.60","metadata":false},{"id":68397,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.61","catch_line":"Assistance with discovery","url":"\/20-88.61\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.61","metadata":false},{"id":81145,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.62","catch_line":"Receipt and disbursement of payments","url":"\/20-88.62\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.62","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":75001,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.45","catch_line":"Action by minor parent","url":"\/20-88.45\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.45","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-88.44\/","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 2 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 2005, chapter 754<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 727<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":70653,"section_number":"20-88.43:1","catch_line":"Application to nonresident subject to personal jurisdiction","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.43_1\/"},{"id":79696,"section_number":"20-88.48","catch_line":"Duties and powers of responding tribunal","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.48\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":178747,"object_type":"law","relational_id":64441,"identifier":"20-88.44","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.44","url":"\/20-88.44\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-88.44\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.44","dublin_core":{"Title":"Proceedings under this chapter","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-88.44","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, this article applies to all proceedings under this chapter. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> An individual or a support enforcement agency<\/span> may initiate a proceeding authorized under this chapter by filing a petition<\/span> in an initiating tribunal<\/span> for forwarding to a responding tribunal<\/span> or by filing a petition<\/span> or a comparable pleading directly in a tribunal of another state<\/span> or foreign country<\/span> that has or can obtain personal jurisdiction<\/span> over the respondent. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPROCEEDINGS UNDER THIS CHAPTER (\u00a7 20-88.44)\n\nA. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, this article applies to all\nproceedings under this chapter.\n\nB. An individual or a support enforcement agency may initiate a proceeding\nauthorized under this chapter by filing a petition in an initiating tribunal for\nforwarding to a responding tribunal or by filing a petition or a comparable\npleading directly in a tribunal of another state or foreign country that has or\ncan obtain personal jurisdiction over the respondent.\n\nHISTORY: 1994, c. 673; 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}}