Title 20. Domestic Relations
Chapter 5.3. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act
Article 7. Enforcement of Order without Registration.
§ 20-88.64. Employer's receipt of income-withholding order of another state.An income-withholding order issued in another state may be sent by or on behalf of the obligee, or by the support enforcement agency, to the person or entity defined as the obligor's employer as defined in § 63.2-1900 under the income-withholding law of the Commonwealth without first filing a petition or comparable pleading or registering the order with a tribunal of the Commonwealth.
1994, c. 673; 1997, cc. 797, 897; 1998, c. 727; 2005, c. 754; 2015, c. 727.
§ 20-88.64:1. Employer's compliance with income-withholding order of another state.A. Upon receipt of an income-withholding order, the obligor's employer shall immediately provide a copy of the order to the obligor. The employer shall treat an income-withholding order issued in another state which appears regular on its face as if it had been issued by a tribunal of the Commonwealth.
B. Except as provided in subsection C and § 20-88.64:2, the employer shall withhold and distribute the funds as directed in the withholding order by complying with the terms of the order, as applicable, that specify:
1. The duration and amount of periodic payments of current child support, stated as a sum certain;
2. The individual or support enforcement agency designated to receive payments and the address to which the payments are to be forwarded;
3. Medical support, whether in the form of periodic cash payments, stated as a sum certain or ordering the obligor to provide health insurance coverage for the child under a policy available through the obligor's employer;
4. The amount of periodic payments of fees and costs for a support enforcement agency, the issuing tribunal, and the obligee's attorney, stated as sums certain; and
5. The amount of periodic payments of arrearages and interest on arrearages, stated as sums certain.
C. An employer shall comply with the law of the state of the obligor's principal place of employment for withholding from income with respect to:
1. The employer's fee for processing an income-withholding order;
2. The maximum amount permitted to be withheld from the obligor's income; and
3. The times within which the employer shall implement the withholding order and forward the child support payment.
1997, cc. 797, 897; 2005, c. 754.
§ 20-88.64:2. Compliance with two or more income-withholding orders.If an obligor's employer receives two or more income-withholding orders with respect to the earnings of the same obligor, the employer satisfies the terms of the orders if the employer complies with the law of the state of the obligor's principal place of employment to establish priorities for withholding and allocating income withheld for two or more child support obligees.
1997, cc. 797, 897; 2005, c. 754.
§ 20-88.64:3. Immunity from civil liability.An employer that complies with an income-withholding order issued in another state in accordance with this article is not subject to civil liability to an individual or agency with regard to the employer's withholding child support from the obligor's income.
1997, cc. 797, 897; 2015, c. 727.
§ 20-88.64:4. Penalties for noncompliance.An employer that willfully fails to comply with an income-withholding order issued in another state and received for enforcement is subject to the same penalties that may be imposed for noncompliance with an order issued by a tribunal of the Commonwealth.
1997, cc. 797, 897; 2015, c. 727.
§ 20-88.64:5. Contest by obligor.A. An obligor may contest the validity or enforcement of an income-withholding order issued in another state and received directly by an employer in the Commonwealth by registering the order in a tribunal of the Commonwealth and filing a contest to that order as provided in this chapter or otherwise contesting the order in the same manner as if the order had been issued by a tribunal of the Commonwealth.
B. The obligor shall give notice of the contest to (i) a support enforcement agency providing services to the obligee, (ii) each employer that has directly received an income-withholding order relating to the obligor, and (iii) the support enforcement agency designated to receive payments in the income-withholding order.
1997, cc. 797, 897; 2005, c. 754.
§ 20-88.65. Administrative enforcement of orders.A. A party or support enforcement agency seeking to enforce a foreign support order, or a support order or an income-withholding order, or both, issued in another state, may send the documents required for registering the order to a support enforcement agency of the Commonwealth.
B. Upon receipt of the documents, the support enforcement agency, without initially seeking to register the order, shall consider and, if appropriate, use any administrative procedure authorized by the law of the Commonwealth to enforce a support order or an income-withholding order, or both. If the obligor does not contest administrative enforcement, the order need not be registered. If the obligor contests the validity or administrative enforcement of the order, the support enforcement agency shall register the order pursuant to this chapter.