{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-88.83.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-88.83.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-88.83.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-88.83.html"}],"law_id":82126,"edition_id":1,"section_id":82126,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.83","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"2015, c. 727.","full_text":"As used in this article:\n\t\t“Application” means a request under the Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance by an obligee or obligor, or on behalf of a child, made through a central authority for assistance from another central authority.\n\t\t“Central authority” means the entity designated by the United States or a foreign country described in \u00a7 20-88.32 to perform the functions specified in the Convention.\n\t\t“Convention support order” means a support order of a tribunal of a foreign country described in \u00a7 20-88.32.\n\t\t“Direct request” means a petition or similar pleading filed by an individual in a tribunal of the Commonwealth in a proceeding involving an obligee, obligor, or child residing outside the United States.\n\t\t“Foreign central authority” means the entity designated by a foreign country described in \u00a7 20-88.32 to perform the functions specified in the Convention.\n\t\t“Foreign support agreement” means an agreement for support in a record that (i) is enforceable as a support order in the country of origin; (ii) has been formally drawn up or registered as an authentic instrument by a foreign tribunal or authenticated by or concluded, registered, or filed with a foreign tribunal; and (iii) may be reviewed and modified by a foreign tribunal. “Foreign support agreement” includes a maintenance arrangement or authentic instrument under the Convention.\n\t\t“United States central authority” means the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":294325,"text":"As used in this article:\n\t\t“Application” means a request under the Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance by an obligee or obligor, or on behalf of a child, made through a central authority for assistance from another central authority.\n\t\t“Central authority” means the entity designated by the United States or a foreign country described in \u00a7 20-88.32 to perform the functions specified in the Convention.\n\t\t“Convention support order” means a support order of a tribunal of a foreign country described in \u00a7 20-88.32.\n\t\t“Direct request” means a petition or similar pleading filed by an individual in a tribunal of the Commonwealth in a proceeding involving an obligee, obligor, or child residing outside the United States.\n\t\t“Foreign central authority” means the entity designated by a foreign country described in \u00a7 20-88.32 to perform the functions specified in the Convention.\n\t\t“Foreign support agreement” means an agreement for support in a record that (i) is enforceable as a support order in the country of origin; (ii) has been formally drawn up or registered as an authentic instrument by a foreign tribunal or authenticated by or concluded, registered, or filed with a foreign tribunal; and (iii) may be reviewed and modified by a foreign tribunal. “Foreign support agreement” includes a maintenance arrangement or authentic instrument under the Convention.\n\t\t“United States central authority” means the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14137,"edition_id":1,"name":"Support Proceeding Under Hague Convention","identifier":"13","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14136,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:46:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:46:59","permalink":{"id":178641,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14137,"identifier":"13","token":"20\/5.3\/13","url":"\/20\/5.3\/13\/","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":82126,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.83","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/20-88.83\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.83","metadata":false},{"id":63851,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.84","catch_line":"Applicability","url":"\/20-88.84\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.84","metadata":false},{"id":55284,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.85","catch_line":"Relationship of Department of Social Services to United States central authority","url":"\/20-88.85\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.85","metadata":false},{"id":76442,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.86","catch_line":"Initiation by Department of Social Services of support proceeding under convention","url":"\/20-88.86\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.86","metadata":false},{"id":67675,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.87","catch_line":"Direct request","url":"\/20-88.87\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.87","metadata":false},{"id":58148,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.88","catch_line":"Registration of Convention support order","url":"\/20-88.88\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.88","metadata":false},{"id":72770,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.89","catch_line":"Contest of registered convention support order","url":"\/20-88.89\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.89","metadata":false},{"id":56389,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.90","catch_line":"Recognition and enforcement of registered convention support order","url":"\/20-88.90\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.90","metadata":false},{"id":83933,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.91","catch_line":"Partial enforcement","url":"\/20-88.91\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.91","metadata":false},{"id":60717,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.92","catch_line":"Foreign support agreement","url":"\/20-88.92\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.92","metadata":false},{"id":73784,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.93","catch_line":"Modification of Convention child support order","url":"\/20-88.93\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.93","metadata":false},{"id":63975,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.94","catch_line":"Personal information; limit on use","url":"\/20-88.94\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.94","metadata":false},{"id":82546,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.95","catch_line":"Record in original language; English translation","url":"\/20-88.95\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.95","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":63851,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.84","catch_line":"Applicability","url":"\/20-88.84\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.84","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/20-88.83\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2015. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 727<\/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.<\/p>","references":[{"id":85713,"section_number":"20-88.32","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.32\/"},{"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\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":85713,"section_number":"20-88.32","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.32\/"}],"permalink":{"id":178643,"object_type":"law","relational_id":82126,"identifier":"20-88.83","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.83","url":"\/20-88.83\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-88.83\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.83","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-88.83","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this article:\n\t\t“Application<\/span>” means a request under the Hague Convention on the International Recovery of Child<\/span> Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance by an obligee<\/span> or obligor<\/span>, or on behalf of a child<\/span>, made through a central authority for assistance from another central authority.\n\t\t“Central authority” means the entity designated by the United States or a foreign country<\/span> described in \u00a7 20-88.32<\/a> to perform the functions specified in the Convention.\n\t\t“Convention support order<\/span>” means a support order of a tribunal of a foreign country<\/span> described in \u00a7 20-88.32<\/a>.\n\t\t“Direct request<\/span>” means a petition<\/span> or similar pleading filed by an individual in a tribunal of the Commonwealth in a proceeding involving an obligee<\/span>, obligor<\/span>, or child<\/span> residing outside the United States.\n\t\t“Foreign central authority<\/span>” means the entity designated by a foreign country<\/span> described in \u00a7 20-88.32<\/a> to perform the functions specified in the Convention.\n\t\t“Foreign support agreement<\/span>” means an agreement for support in a record<\/span> that (i) is enforceable as a support order in the country of origin; (ii) has been formally drawn up or registered as an authentic instrument by a foreign tribunal<\/span> or authenticated by or concluded, registered, or filed with a foreign tribunal<\/span>; and (iii) may be reviewed and modified by a foreign tribunal<\/span>. “Foreign support agreement<\/span>” includes a maintenance arrangement or authentic instrument under the Convention.\n\t\t“United States central authority<\/span>” means the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 20-88.83)\n\nAs used in this article:\n\t\t“Application” means a request under the Hague Convention on the\nInternational Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance by\nan obligee or obligor, or on behalf of a child, made through a central authority\nfor assistance from another central authority.\n\t\t“Central authority” means the entity designated by the United\nStates or a foreign country described in \u00a7 20-88.32 to perform the functions\nspecified in the Convention.\n\t\t“Convention support order” means a support order of a tribunal of\na foreign country described in \u00a7 20-88.32.\n\t\t“Direct request” means a petition or similar pleading filed by an\nindividual in a tribunal of the Commonwealth in a proceeding involving an\nobligee, obligor, or child residing outside the United States.\n\t\t“Foreign central authority” means the entity designated by a\nforeign country described in \u00a7 20-88.32 to perform the functions specified in\nthe Convention.\n\t\t“Foreign support agreement” means an agreement for support in a\nrecord that (i) is enforceable as a support order in the country of origin; (ii)\nhas been formally drawn up or registered as an authentic instrument by a foreign\ntribunal or authenticated by or concluded, registered, or filed with a foreign\ntribunal; and (iii) may be reviewed and modified by a foreign tribunal.\n“Foreign support agreement” includes a maintenance arrangement or\nauthentic instrument under the Convention.\n\t\t“United States central authority” means the Secretary of the U.S.\nDepartment of Health and Human Services.\n\nHISTORY: 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}}