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Why did Tennessee adopt the UIFSA 2008 Amendments?

| Mar 4, 2015 | Child Support

Many children and their custodial parents in Montgomery County are child support recipients. They may be aware that every state, including Tennessee, has its own set of child support laws and most matters pertaining to child support conform to those particular state laws. However, in certain cases of child support delinquency, federal laws may also be applicable.

In addition to that, the Uniform Law Commission also drafted the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act and amended it in 2008, which includes provisions of the Hague Convention on Maintenance of 2007. It addresses issues that often come up in interstate child support disputes. Tennessee is among the states that have already adopted the law while the other states have it included in their legislative agenda for 2015, which expects uninterrupted federal funding for state child support programs.

Federal funding was one of the major reasons why Tennessee adopted the UIFSA. Tennessee adopted the Act before a 2014 federal law made it mandatory for states to introduce the IUIFSA in their legislature in 2015. All states have complied with the law ever since. Another reason why Tennessee adopted the UIFSA was to strengthen its child support order in other countries, which is synchronized with the provisions of the Hague Convention on Maintenance. The UIFSA 2008 amendments also make it possible for Tennessee to register, enforce and modify child support orders that have been issued by a court in a foreign country, which is also under the jurisdiction of the Hague Convention.

Despite the various measures taken by authorities, child support issues continue to plague many custodial and non-custodial parents in Tennessee. Sadly, those issues have a greater detrimental effect on the child’s best interests than the parent’s best interests. To protect the child’s best interests, it may be a wise decision to seek legal counsel while trying to resolve issues pertaining to child support.

Source: Uniform Law Commission, “Why States Should Adopt the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act 2008 Amendments,” Accessed on March 3, 2015

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