{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-88.54.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-88.54.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-88.54.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-88.54.html"}],"law_id":60367,"edition_id":1,"section_id":60367,"structure_id":14205,"section_number":"20-88.54","catch_line":"Pleadings and accompanying documents","history":"1994, c. 673; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727.","full_text":"A\n\nIn a proceeding under this chapter, a petitioner seeking to establish a support order, to determine parentage of a child, or to register and modify a support order of a tribunal of another state or a foreign country shall file a petition. Unless otherwise ordered under § 20-88.55, the petition or accompanying documents shall provide, so far as known, the name, residential address, and social security numbers of the obligor and the obligee or the parent and alleged parent, and the name, sex, residential address, social security number, and date of birth of each child for whose benefit support is sought or whose parentage is to be determined. Unless filed at the time of registration, the petition shall be accompanied by a copy of any support order known to have been issued by another tribunal. The petition may include any other information that may assist in locating or identifying the respondent.B\n\nThe petition shall specify the relief sought. The petition and accompanying documents shall conform substantially with the requirements imposed by the forms mandated by federal law for use in cases filed by a support enforcement agency.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":220792,"text":"In a proceeding under this chapter, a petitioner seeking to establish a support order, to determine parentage of a child, or to register and modify a support order of a tribunal of another state or a foreign country shall file a petition. Unless otherwise ordered under § 20-88.55, the petition or accompanying documents shall provide, so far as known, the name, residential address, and social security numbers of the obligor and the obligee or the parent and alleged parent, and the name, sex, residential address, social security number, and date of birth of each child for whose benefit support is sought or whose parentage is to be determined. Unless filed at the time of registration, the petition shall be accompanied by a copy of any support order known to have been issued by another tribunal. The petition may include any other information that may assist in locating or identifying the respondent.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":220793,"text":"The petition shall specify the relief sought. The petition and accompanying documents shall conform substantially with the requirements imposed by the forms mandated by federal law for use in cases filed by a support enforcement agency.","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":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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-88.54\/","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":58148,"section_number":"20-88.88","catch_line":"Registration of Convention support order","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.88\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":60565,"section_number":"20-88.55","catch_line":"Nondisclosure of information in exceptional circumstances","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.55\/"}],"permalink":{"id":178787,"object_type":"law","relational_id":60367,"identifier":"20-88.54","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.54","url":"\/20-88.54\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-88.54\/","token":"20\/5.3\/5\/20-88.54","dublin_core":{"Title":"Pleadings and accompanying documents","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-88.54","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> In a proceeding under this chapter, a petitioner seeking to establish a support order<\/span>, to determine parentage of a child<\/span>, or to register<\/span> and modify a support order<\/span> of a tribunal<\/span> of another state<\/span> or a foreign country<\/span> shall file a petition<\/span>. Unless otherwise ordered under § 20-88.55<\/a>, the petition<\/span> or accompanying documents shall provide, so far as known, the name, residential address, and social security numbers of the obligor<\/span> and the obligee<\/span> or the parent and alleged parent, and the name, sex, residential address, social security number, and date of birth of each child<\/span> for whose benefit support is sought or whose parentage is to be determined. Unless filed at the time of registration, the petition<\/span> shall be accompanied by a copy of any support order<\/span> known to have been issued by another tribunal<\/span>. The petition<\/span> may include any other information that may assist in locating or identifying the respondent. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The petition<\/span> shall specify the relief sought. The petition<\/span> and accompanying documents shall conform substantially with the requirements imposed by the forms mandated by federal law<\/span> for use in cases filed by a support enforcement agency<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPLEADINGS AND ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS (\u00a7 20-88.54)\n\nA. In a proceeding under this chapter, a petitioner seeking to establish a\nsupport order, to determine parentage of a child, or to register and modify a\nsupport order of a tribunal of another state or a foreign country shall file a\npetition. Unless otherwise ordered under § 20-88.55, the petition or\naccompanying documents shall provide, so far as known, the name, residential\naddress, and social security numbers of the obligor and the obligee or the\nparent and alleged parent, and the name, sex, residential address, social\nsecurity number, and date of birth of each child for whose benefit support is\nsought or whose parentage is to be determined. Unless filed at the time of\nregistration, the petition shall be accompanied by a copy of any support order\nknown to have been issued by another tribunal. The petition may include any\nother information that may assist in locating or identifying the respondent.\n\nB. The petition shall specify the relief sought. The petition and accompanying\ndocuments shall conform substantially with the requirements imposed by the forms\nmandated by federal law for use in cases filed by a support enforcement agency.\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}}