{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-88.47.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-88.47.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-88.47.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-88.47.html"}],"law_id":78091,"edition_id":1,"section_id":78091,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.47","catch_line":"Duties of initiating tribunal","history":"1994, c. 673; 1997, cc. 797, 897; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727.","full_text":"A\n\nUpon the filing of a petition authorized by this chapter, an initiating tribunal of the Commonwealth shall forward the petition and its accompanying documents (i) to the responding tribunal or appropriate support enforcement agency in the responding state or, (ii) if the identity of the responding tribunal is unknown, to the state information agency of the responding state with a request that they be forwarded to the appropriate tribunal and that receipt be acknowledged.B\n\nIf requested by the responding tribunal, a tribunal of the Commonwealth shall issue a certificate or other documents and make findings required by the law of the responding state. If the responding tribunal is in a foreign country, upon request the tribunal of the Commonwealth shall specify the amount of support sought, convert that amount into the equivalent amount in the foreign currency under applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported, and provide any other documents necessary to satisfy the requirements of the responding foreign tribunal.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":279968,"text":"Upon the filing of a petition authorized by this chapter, an initiating tribunal of the Commonwealth shall forward the petition and its accompanying documents (i) to the responding tribunal or appropriate support enforcement agency in the responding state or, (ii) if the identity of the responding tribunal is unknown, to the state information agency of the responding state with a request that they be forwarded to the appropriate tribunal and that receipt be acknowledged.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":279969,"text":"If requested by the responding tribunal, a tribunal of the Commonwealth shall issue a certificate or other documents and make findings required by the law of the responding state. If the responding tribunal is in a foreign country, upon request the tribunal of the Commonwealth shall specify the amount of support sought, convert that amount into the equivalent amount in the foreign currency under applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported, and provide any other documents necessary to satisfy the requirements of the responding foreign tribunal.","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 Application","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14136,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:47:16","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:47:16","permalink":{"id":178745,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14205,"identifier":"5","token":"20\/5.3\/5","url":"\/20\/5.3\/5\/","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":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 responding tribunal","url":"\/20-88.48\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.48","metadata":false},{"id":75217,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.49","catch_line":"Inappropriate tribunal","url":"\/20-88.49\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.49","metadata":false},{"id":77249,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.50","catch_line":"Duties of support enforcement agency","url":"\/20-88.50\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.50","metadata":false},{"id":59933,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.51","catch_line":"Duty of Secretary of Health and Human Resources","url":"\/20-88.51\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.51","metadata":false},{"id":55394,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.52","catch_line":"Private counsel","url":"\/20-88.52\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.52","metadata":false},{"id":79529,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.53","catch_line":"Duties of state information agency","url":"\/20-88.53\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.53","metadata":false},{"id":60367,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.54","catch_line":"Pleadings and accompanying documents","url":"\/20-88.54\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.54","metadata":false},{"id":60565,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.55","catch_line":"Nondisclosure of information in exceptional circumstances","url":"\/20-88.55\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.55","metadata":false},{"id":60021,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.56","catch_line":"Costs and fees","url":"\/20-88.56\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.56","metadata":false},{"id":82163,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.57","catch_line":"Limited immunity of petitioner","url":"\/20-88.57\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.57","metadata":false},{"id":60335,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.58","catch_line":"Nonparentage as 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}],"previous_section":{"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},"next_section":{"id":79696,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.48","catch_line":"Duties and powers of responding tribunal","url":"\/20-88.48\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.48","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-88.47\/","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 3 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 1997, chapters 797<\/a> and 897<\/a>; in 2005, chapter 754<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 727<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":178759,"object_type":"law","relational_id":78091,"identifier":"20-88.47","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.47","url":"\/20-88.47\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-88.47\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.47","dublin_core":{"Title":"Duties of initiating tribunal","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-88.47","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Upon the filing of a petition<\/span> authorized by this chapter, an initiating tribunal<\/span> of the Commonwealth shall forward the petition<\/span> and its accompanying documents (i) to the responding tribunal<\/span> or appropriate support enforcement agency<\/span> in the responding state<\/span> or, (ii) if the identity of the responding tribunal<\/span> is unknown, to the state information agency of the responding state<\/span> with a request that they be forwarded to the appropriate tribunal and that receipt be acknowledged. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> If requested by the responding tribunal<\/span>, a tribunal of the Commonwealth shall issue<\/span> a certificate or other documents and make findings<\/span> required by the law<\/span> of the responding state<\/span>. If the responding tribunal<\/span> is in a foreign country<\/span>, upon request the tribunal of the Commonwealth shall specify the amount of support sought, convert that amount into the equivalent amount in the foreign currency under applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported, and provide any other documents necessary to satisfy the requirements of the responding foreign tribunal<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDUTIES OF INITIATING TRIBUNAL (\u00a7 20-88.47)\n\nA. Upon the filing of a petition authorized by this chapter, an initiating\ntribunal of the Commonwealth shall forward the petition and its accompanying\ndocuments (i) to the responding tribunal or appropriate support enforcement\nagency in the responding state or, (ii) if the identity of the responding\ntribunal is unknown, to the state information agency of the responding state\nwith a request that they be forwarded to the appropriate tribunal and that\nreceipt be acknowledged.\n\nB. If requested by the responding tribunal, a tribunal of the Commonwealth shall\nissue a certificate or other documents and make findings required by the law of\nthe responding state. If the responding tribunal is in a foreign country, upon\nrequest the tribunal of the Commonwealth shall specify the amount of support\nsought, convert that amount into the equivalent amount in the foreign currency\nunder applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported, and\nprovide any other documents necessary to satisfy the requirements of the\nresponding foreign tribunal.\n\nHISTORY: 1994, c. 673; 1997, cc. 797, 897; 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}}