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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>64441</law_id><section_number>20-88.44</section_number><catch_line>Proceedings under this chapter</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>20-88.43:1</reference><reference>20-88.48</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="20">Domestic Relations</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="5.3">Uniform Interstate Family Support Act</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="5">Civil Provisions of General Application</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, this article applies to all proceedings under this chapter. <a id="paragraph-234497" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-88.44/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> An individual or a <span class="dictionary">support enforcement agency</span> may initiate a proceeding authorized under this chapter by filing a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> in an <span class="dictionary">initiating tribunal</span> for forwarding to a <span class="dictionary">responding tribunal</span> or by filing a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> or a comparable pleading directly in a tribunal of another <span class="dictionary">state</span> or <span class="dictionary">foreign country</span> that has or can obtain personal <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> over the respondent. <a id="paragraph-234498" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/20-88.44/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1994, c. 673; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
