§ 19-11-137.Tribunal’s authority to accomplish discovery
Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 3. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act · Part 3. Civil Provisions · Last amended 2013 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-11-137
Plain-English Summary
Discovery — the formal process of getting information from the other side or from third parties, such as proof of a parent’s income — gets complicated when the evidence sits in another state. This section gives Georgia tribunals two tools.
First, a Georgia tribunal may request a tribunal outside Georgia to assist in obtaining discovery. Second, upon request, a Georgia tribunal may compel a person over which it has jurisdiction to respond to a discovery order issued by a tribunal outside Georgia. Both powers are permissive: the statute says “may.” The second one has two built-in conditions — there must be a request, and the Georgia tribunal must have jurisdiction over the person.
“Person” is defined broadly in § 19-11-101 to include not just individuals but corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, government agencies and other entities, so an employer or other business can be a target of a compelled response. The section works with § 19-11-136, which lets tribunals exchange information about laws and case status, and § 19-11-135(f), which requires Georgia tribunals to allow out-of-state parties and witnesses to be deposed by telephone, audiovisual or other electronic means. The section was last amended in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get information from someone in Georgia if my support case is in another state?
Through the tribunal handling your case. If that tribunal issues a discovery order, a Georgia tribunal may, upon request, compel a person over which it has jurisdiction to respond to it. The Georgia tribunal isn’t required to act — the statute says “may” — and it must have jurisdiction over the person.
Can a Georgia court ask another state’s court for help gathering evidence?
Yes. A Georgia tribunal may request a tribunal outside Georgia to assist in obtaining discovery. That lets a Georgia case reach information held by someone in another state or country, subject to what the other tribunal is willing and able to do under its own law.
Does a Georgia court have to enforce another state’s discovery order?
No. The section says a Georgia tribunal “may,” upon request, compel a person over which it has jurisdiction to respond to a discovery order from a tribunal outside Georgia. Both conditions — a request and jurisdiction over the person — must be met, and even then the decision is the tribunal’s.
Can an employer in Georgia be made to answer discovery in an interstate support case?
It can, if the Georgia tribunal has jurisdiction over it and a request is made. The section applies to a “person,” which § 19-11-101 defines to include corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and other legal or commercial entities, not only individuals.
Can I be deposed without traveling to another state?
In a Georgia proceeding under the interstate support law, yes. Section 19-11-135(f) requires a Georgia tribunal to permit a party or witness living outside Georgia to be deposed or to testify under penalty of perjury by telephone, audiovisual means or other electronic means at a designated tribunal or other location.
Amendment History
Laws 1997, p. 1613, § 33; Laws 2013, Act 224, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013.