Child support and alimony recipients in Plano County and in the rest of Texas might be aware that Texas has its own set of laws when it comes to family law matters. However, in cases where the person is having a child support or alimony agreement issue in a different state, enforcing the order may be a challenge. In order to address these types of issues, Congress has made it mandatory for states to adopt the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which was published by the Uniform Law Commission.
The UIFSA was amended in 2008 in order to incorporate the provisions of the Hague Convention on Maintenance of 2007. The purpose of the amendments was to address the fact that various family support issues were common when the parties were in different states. As of 2015, the UIFSA has been in the process of being passed through the Texas legislature.
One of the major reasons that Texas has the UIFSA on its legislative agenda for 2015 is that a federal law made it mandatory for all states to adopt the UIFSA so that the state continues to receive federal funding for family law issues, such as child support. The passage of the UIFSA in Texas would allow Texas courts to strengthen the child support and alimony order when the parties are in different countries, which is according to the provisions of the Hague Convention on Maintenance. Additionally, the UIFSA would allow Texas to enforce support orders from other states or countries.
However, despite the various efforts that are being made, child support and alimony are often the most complicated of all family law issues and require in-depth legal knowledge of family laws in Texas. Understandably, family issues are often complex and people who lack a clear understanding of Texas family laws may find it difficult to navigate through the process. Therefore, it may be a wise decision to retain an attorney who can help the person to understand the process thoroughly and to take the necessary steps, either in court or out of court.
Source: Uniform Law Commission, “Why States Should Adopt the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act 2008 Amendments,” Accessed on June 9, 2015