{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-88.72.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-88.72.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-88.72.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-88.72.html"}],"law_id":73306,"edition_id":1,"section_id":73306,"structure_id":15515,"section_number":"20-88.72","catch_line":"Contest of registration or enforcement","history":"1994, c. 673; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727.","full_text":"A\n\nA party contesting the validity or enforcement of a registered support order or seeking to vacate the registration has the burden of proving one or more of the following defenses:1\n\nThe issuing tribunal lacked personal jurisdiction over the contesting party;2\n\nThe order was obtained by fraud;3\n\nThe order has been vacated, suspended, or modified by a later order;4\n\nThe issuing tribunal has stayed the order pending appeal;5\n\nThere is a defense under the law of the Commonwealth to the remedy sought;6\n\nFull or partial payment has been made;7\n\nThe statute of limitations under § 20-88.69 precludes enforcement of some or all of the alleged arrearages; or8\n\nThe alleged controlling order is not the controlling order.B\n\nIf a party presents evidence establishing a full or partial defense under subsection A, a tribunal may stay enforcement of a registered support order, continue the proceeding to permit production of additional relevant evidence, and issue other appropriate orders. An uncontested portion of the registered support order may be enforced by all remedies available under the law of the Commonwealth.C\n\nIf the contesting party does not establish a defense under subsection A to the validity or enforcement of a registered support order, the registering tribunal shall issue an order confirming the order.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":263819,"text":"A party contesting the validity or enforcement of a registered support order or seeking to vacate the registration has the burden of proving one or more of the following defenses:","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"A1"},"1":{"id":263820,"text":"The issuing tribunal lacked personal jurisdiction over the contesting party;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"A1","prefix_anchor":"A1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"A2"},"2":{"id":263821,"text":"The order was obtained by fraud;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"A2","prefix_anchor":"A2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A1","next_prefix":"A3"},"3":{"id":263822,"text":"The order has been vacated, suspended, or modified by a later order;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"A3","prefix_anchor":"A3","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A2","next_prefix":"A4"},"4":{"id":263823,"text":"The issuing tribunal has stayed the order pending appeal;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"A4","prefix_anchor":"A4","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A3","next_prefix":"A5"},"5":{"id":263824,"text":"There is a defense under the law of the Commonwealth to the remedy sought;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"A5","prefix_anchor":"A5","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A4","next_prefix":"A6"},"6":{"id":263825,"text":"Full or partial payment has been made;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","6"],"prefix":"6","entire_prefix":"A6","prefix_anchor":"A6","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A5","next_prefix":"A7"},"7":{"id":263826,"text":"The statute of limitations under § 20-88.69 precludes enforcement of some or all of the alleged arrearages; or","type":"section","prefixes":["A","7"],"prefix":"7","entire_prefix":"A7","prefix_anchor":"A7","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A6","next_prefix":"A8"},"8":{"id":263827,"text":"The alleged controlling order is not the controlling order.","type":"section","prefixes":["A","8"],"prefix":"8","entire_prefix":"A8","prefix_anchor":"A8","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A7","next_prefix":"B"},"9":{"id":263828,"text":"If a party presents evidence establishing a full or partial defense under subsection A, a tribunal may stay enforcement of a registered support order, continue the proceeding to permit production of additional relevant evidence, and issue other appropriate orders. An uncontested portion of the registered support order may be enforced by all remedies available under the law of the Commonwealth.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A8","next_prefix":"C"},"10":{"id":263829,"text":"If the contesting party does not establish a defense under subsection A to the validity or enforcement of a registered support order, the registering tribunal shall issue an order confirming the order.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15515,"edition_id":1,"name":"Enforcement and Modification of Support Order After Registration","identifier":"8","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14136,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:55:44","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:55:44","permalink":{"id":178863,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15515,"identifier":"8","token":"20\/5.3\/8","url":"\/20\/5.3\/8\/","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":61479,"structure_id":15515,"section_number":"20-88.66","catch_line":"Registration of order for enforcement","url":"\/20-88.66\/","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.66","metadata":false},{"id":59142,"structure_id":15515,"section_number":"20-88.67","catch_line":"Procedure to register order for enforcement","url":"\/20-88.67\/","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.67","metadata":false},{"id":77058,"structure_id":15515,"section_number":"20-88.68","catch_line":"Effect of registration for enforcement","url":"\/20-88.68\/","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.68","metadata":false},{"id":73917,"structure_id":15515,"section_number":"20-88.69","catch_line":"Choice of law; statute of limitations","url":"\/20-88.69\/","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.69","metadata":false},{"id":72121,"structure_id":15515,"section_number":"20-88.70","catch_line":"Notice of registration of order; contest of validity or enforcement","url":"\/20-88.70\/","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.70","metadata":false},{"id":71887,"structure_id":15515,"section_number":"20-88.71","catch_line":"Procedure to contest validity or enforcement of registered support order","url":"\/20-88.71\/","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.71","metadata":false},{"id":73306,"structure_id":15515,"section_number":"20-88.72","catch_line":"Contest of registration or enforcement","url":"\/20-88.72\/","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.72","metadata":false},{"id":73133,"structure_id":15515,"section_number":"20-88.73","catch_line":"Confirmed order","url":"\/20-88.73\/","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.73","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":71887,"structure_id":15515,"section_number":"20-88.71","catch_line":"Procedure to contest validity or enforcement of registered support order","url":"\/20-88.71\/","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.71","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":73133,"structure_id":15515,"section_number":"20-88.73","catch_line":"Confirmed order","url":"\/20-88.73\/","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.73","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-88.72\/","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":72770,"section_number":"20-88.89","catch_line":"Contest of registered convention support order","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.89\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":73917,"section_number":"20-88.69","catch_line":"Choice of law; statute of limitations","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.69\/"}],"permalink":{"id":178889,"object_type":"law","relational_id":73306,"identifier":"20-88.72","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.72","url":"\/20-88.72\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-88.72\/","token":"20\/5.3\/8\/20-88.72","dublin_core":{"Title":"Contest of registration or enforcement","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-88.72","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> A party<\/span> contesting the validity or enforcement of a registered support order<\/span> or seeking to vacate the registration has the burden of proving one or more of the following defenses: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> The issuing tribunal<\/span> lacked personal jurisdiction<\/span> over the contesting party<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> The order was obtained by fraud<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> The order has been vacated, suspended, or modified by a later order; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> The issuing tribunal<\/span> has stayed the order pending appeal<\/span>; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> There is a defense under the law<\/span> of the Commonwealth to the remedy sought; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

6.<\/span> Full or partial payment has been made; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

7.<\/span> The statute of limitations<\/span> under § 20-88.69<\/a> precludes enforcement of some or all of the alleged arrearages; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

8.<\/span> The alleged controlling order is not the controlling order. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> If a party<\/span> presents evidence<\/span> establishing a full or partial defense under subsection A, a tribunal may stay<\/span> enforcement of a registered support order<\/span>, continue the proceeding to permit production of additional relevant evidence<\/span>, and issue<\/span> other appropriate orders<\/span>. An uncontested portion of the registered support order<\/span> may be enforced by all remedies available under the law<\/span> of the Commonwealth. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> If the contesting party<\/span> does not establish a defense under subsection A to the validity or enforcement of a registered support order<\/span>, the registering tribunal<\/span> shall issue<\/span> an order confirming the order. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCONTEST OF REGISTRATION OR ENFORCEMENT (\u00a7 20-88.72)\n\nA. A party contesting the validity or enforcement of a registered support order\nor seeking to vacate the registration has the burden of proving one or more of\nthe following defenses:\n\n 1. The issuing tribunal lacked personal jurisdiction over the contesting\n party;\n\n 2. The order was obtained by fraud;\n\n 3. The order has been vacated, suspended, or modified by a later order;\n\n 4. The issuing tribunal has stayed the order pending appeal;\n\n 5. There is a defense under the law of the Commonwealth to the remedy sought;\n\n 6. Full or partial payment has been made;\n\n 7. The statute of limitations under § 20-88.69 precludes enforcement of\n some or all of the alleged arrearages; or\n\n 8. The alleged controlling order is not the controlling order.\n\nB. If a party presents evidence establishing a full or partial defense under\nsubsection A, a tribunal may stay enforcement of a registered support order,\ncontinue the proceeding to permit production of additional relevant evidence,\nand issue other appropriate orders. An uncontested portion of the registered\nsupport order may be enforced by all remedies available under the law of the\nCommonwealth.\n\nC. If the contesting party does not establish a defense under subsection A to\nthe validity or enforcement of a registered support order, the registering\ntribunal shall issue an order confirming the order.\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}}