§ 19-11-112.Authority of tribunal
Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 3. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act · Part 2. Jurisdiction; Cooperation Between States · Last amended 2013 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-11-112
Plain-English Summary
Many interstate support cases involve two tribunals. One receives the petition and sends it along; the other, where the paying parent can be reached, hears the case. This section says a Georgia tribunal can do either job.
As an initiating tribunal, a Georgia tribunal forwards proceedings to a tribunal of another state. Code Section 19-11-101(11) defines an initiating tribunal as the one from which a petition is forwarded or in which it is filed for forwarding. Code Section 19-11-123 tells the Georgia tribunal where to send the papers and what certificates or findings to supply when the responding tribunal asks.
As a responding tribunal, a Georgia tribunal handles proceedings started in another state or a foreign country. Code Section 19-11-122 says it applies Georgia law and Georgia’s support guidelines, and Code Section 19-11-124 lists what it can order — from setting and enforcing support to income withholding and contempt.
Which bodies count as Georgia tribunals? Code Section 19-11-102(a) names the superior courts, the Office of State Administrative Hearings and the Department of Human Services. A petitioner doesn’t have to go through an initiating tribunal at all: Code Section 19-11-120(b) also allows filing directly in a tribunal of another state or foreign country that has or can obtain personal jurisdiction over the respondent. The section was amended in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an initiating tribunal in an interstate child support case?
It is the tribunal where a petition starts and from which it is forwarded to another state or country. Code Section 19-11-101(11) defines the term. This section says a Georgia tribunal may serve as an initiating tribunal to forward proceedings to a tribunal of another state, and Code Section 19-11-123 sets its duties.
What is a responding tribunal?
It is the tribunal that receives and decides the case, usually where the other party can be reached. Code Section 19-11-101(24) defines it as the authorized tribunal in a responding state or foreign country. This section lets a Georgia tribunal act as a responding tribunal for proceedings initiated in another state or a foreign country.
Which Georgia courts or agencies count as tribunals for interstate support?
Code Section 19-11-102(a) names three: the superior courts, the Office of State Administrative Hearings, and the Department of Human Services. Any of them can act as a Georgia tribunal under the interstate support act, which means any of them may take on the initiating or responding role this section describes.
Can I start an interstate child support case in Georgia if the other parent lives in another state?
Yes. Code Section 19-11-120(b) lets an individual petitioner or a support enforcement agency file a petition in an initiating tribunal for forwarding to a responding tribunal. A Georgia tribunal can fill that initiating role under this section. The same subsection also allows filing directly in a tribunal of the other state that has or can obtain personal jurisdiction over the respondent.
Can a Georgia tribunal handle a support case that started in a foreign country?
Yes. This section lets a Georgia tribunal serve as a responding tribunal for proceedings initiated in another state or a foreign country. Code Section 19-11-104 says which parts of the act apply when a case involves a foreign support order, a foreign tribunal, or a party or child living in a foreign country.
Amendment History
Laws 1997, p. 1613, § 33; Laws 2013, Act 224, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013.