{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/20-88.87.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/20-88.87.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/20-88.87.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/20-88.87.html"}],"law_id":67675,"edition_id":1,"section_id":67675,"structure_id":14137,"section_number":"20-88.87","catch_line":"Direct request","history":"2015, c. 727.","full_text":"A\n\nA petitioner may file a direct request seeking establishment or modification of a support order or determination of parentage of a child. In the proceeding, the law of the Commonwealth applies.B\n\nA petitioner may file a direct request seeking recognition and enforcement of a support order or support agreement. In the proceeding, §§ 20-88.88 through 20-88.95 apply.C\n\nIn a direct request for recognition and enforcement of a Convention support order or foreign support agreement:1\n\nA security, bond, or deposit is not required to guarantee the payment of costs and expenses; and2\n\nAn obligee or obligor that in the issuing country has benefited from free legal assistance is entitled to benefit, at least to the same extent, from any free legal assistance provided for by the law of the Commonwealth under the same circumstances.D\n\nA petitioner filing a direct request is not entitled to assistance from the Department of Social Services.E\n\nThis chapter does not prevent the application of laws of the Commonwealth that provide simplified, more expeditious rules regarding a direct request for recognition and enforcement of a foreign support order or foreign support agreement.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":245166,"text":"A petitioner may file a direct request seeking establishment or modification of a support order or determination of parentage of a child. In the proceeding, the law of the Commonwealth applies.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":245167,"text":"A petitioner may file a direct request seeking recognition and enforcement of a support order or support agreement. In the proceeding, §§ 20-88.88 through 20-88.95 apply.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":245168,"text":"In a direct request for recognition and enforcement of a Convention support order or foreign support agreement:","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"C1"},"3":{"id":245169,"text":"A security, bond, or deposit is not required to guarantee the payment of costs and expenses; and","type":"section","prefixes":["C","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"C1","prefix_anchor":"C1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"C","next_prefix":"C2"},"4":{"id":245170,"text":"An obligee or obligor that in the issuing country has benefited from free legal assistance is entitled to benefit, at least to the same extent, from any free legal assistance provided for by the law of the Commonwealth under the same circumstances.","type":"section","prefixes":["C","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"C2","prefix_anchor":"C2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"C1","next_prefix":"D"},"5":{"id":245171,"text":"A petitioner filing a direct request is not entitled to assistance from the Department of Social Services.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C2","next_prefix":"E"},"6":{"id":245172,"text":"This chapter does not prevent the application of laws of the Commonwealth that provide simplified, more expeditious rules regarding a direct request for recognition and enforcement of a foreign support order or foreign support agreement.","type":"section","prefixes":["E"],"prefix":"E","entire_prefix":"E","prefix_anchor":"E","level":1,"prior_prefix":"D"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14137,"edition_id":1,"name":"Support Proceeding Under Hague 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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":false,"refers_to":[{"id":58148,"section_number":"20-88.88","catch_line":"Registration of Convention support order","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.88\/"},{"id":82546,"section_number":"20-88.95","catch_line":"Record in original language; English translation","order_by":null,"url":"\/20-88.95\/"}],"permalink":{"id":178659,"object_type":"law","relational_id":67675,"identifier":"20-88.87","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.87","url":"\/20-88.87\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/20-88.87\/","token":"20\/5.3\/13\/20-88.87","dublin_core":{"Title":"Direct request","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 20-88.87","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> A petitioner may file a direct request<\/span> seeking establishment or modification of a support order<\/span> or determination of parentage of a child<\/span>. In the proceeding, the law<\/span> of the Commonwealth applies. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> A petitioner may file a direct request<\/span> seeking recognition and enforcement of a support order<\/span> or support agreement. In the proceeding, §§ 20-88.88<\/a> through 20-88.95<\/a> apply. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> In a direct request<\/span> for recognition and enforcement of a Convention support order<\/span> or foreign support agreement<\/span>: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> A security, bond<\/span>, or deposit is not required to guarantee the payment of costs and expenses; and <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> An obligee<\/span> or obligor<\/span> that in the issuing country has benefited from free legal assistance is entitled to benefit, at least to the same extent, from any free legal assistance provided for by the law<\/span> of the Commonwealth under the same circumstances. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> A petitioner filing a direct request<\/span> is not entitled to assistance from the Department of Social Services. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

E.<\/span> This chapter does not prevent the application<\/span> of laws<\/span> of the Commonwealth that provide simplified, more expeditious rules regarding a direct request<\/span> for recognition and enforcement of a foreign support order<\/span> or foreign support agreement<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDIRECT REQUEST (\u00a7 20-88.87)\n\nA. A petitioner may file a direct request seeking establishment or modification\nof a support order or determination of parentage of a child. In the proceeding,\nthe law of the Commonwealth applies.\n\nB. A petitioner may file a direct request seeking recognition and enforcement of\na support order or support agreement. In the proceeding, §§ 20-88.88\nthrough 20-88.95 apply.\n\nC. In a direct request for recognition and enforcement of a Convention support\norder or foreign support agreement:\n\n 1. A security, bond, or deposit is not required to guarantee the payment of\n costs and expenses; and\n\n 2. An obligee or obligor that in the issuing country has benefited from free\n legal assistance is entitled to benefit, at least to the same extent, from any\n free legal assistance provided for by the law of the Commonwealth under the\n same circumstances.\n\nD. A petitioner filing a direct request is not entitled to assistance from the\nDepartment of Social Services.\n\nE. This chapter does not prevent the application of laws of the Commonwealth\nthat provide simplified, more expeditious rules regarding a direct request for\nrecognition and enforcement of a foreign support order or foreign support\nagreement.\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}}