§ 19-11-138.Disbursement of funds; redirecting payments
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 § 19-11-138
Plain-English Summary
This section is about where support money goes and how its trail is documented. Under subsection (a), a Georgia support enforcement agency or tribunal “shall” promptly disburse any amounts received under a support order, as the order directs. It must also give a requesting party, or a tribunal of another state or a foreign country, a certified statement by the custodian of the record showing the amounts and dates of all payments received.
Subsection (b) handles families that have left Georgia. If neither the obligor, nor the obligee who is an individual, nor the child lives in Georgia, then upon request from the support enforcement agency of Georgia or another state, Georgia’s support enforcement agency or a Georgia tribunal “shall” do two things: direct that the support payment be made to the support enforcement agency in the state where the obligee is receiving services, and issue and send the obligor’s employer a conforming income withholding order or an administrative notice of change of payee reflecting the redirected payments. Section 19-11-126(e) imposes the matching duty on Georgia’s agency when another state’s agency asks.
Subsection (c) runs the other way. When Georgia’s support enforcement agency receives payments redirected from another state under a law like subsection (b), it must give a requesting party or tribunal of that state a certified statement of the amount and dates of all payments received.
A certified payment record is admissible evidence under § 19-11-135(c). Georgia’s family support registry, which processes many support payments, is governed by § 19-6-33.1. The section was last amended in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a record of child support payments made through Georgia?
Ask for one. Under subsection (a), a Georgia support enforcement agency or tribunal must furnish a requesting party, or a tribunal of another state or a foreign country, a certified statement by the custodian of the record showing the amounts and dates of all payments received. Under § 19-11-135(c), a certified payment record is admissible to show whether payments were made.
We all moved out of Georgia. Can child support payments be sent to our new state?
Yes. If neither the obligor, nor the individual obligee, nor the child lives in Georgia, then on request from the support enforcement agency of Georgia or another state, Georgia’s agency or a Georgia tribunal must direct payment to the support enforcement agency in the state where the obligee is receiving services, and send the obligor’s employer a conforming withholding order or notice of change of payee.
Who can ask Georgia to redirect child support payments?
Under subsection (b), the request comes from a support enforcement agency — Georgia’s or another state’s. The section doesn’t provide for a direct request by a parent. An obligee receiving services from an agency in the new state would work through that agency.
Will the paying parent’s employer be told where to send redirected payments?
Yes. When payments are redirected under subsection (b), Georgia’s support enforcement agency or tribunal must issue and send to the obligor’s employer a conforming income withholding order or an administrative notice of change of payee reflecting the redirected payments. The employer then sends the money to the agency in the obligee’s state.
How fast must Georgia pay out child support it receives?
This section says “promptly,” as directed by the support order. Georgia’s family support registry statute is more specific: under § 19-6-33.1(g)(2), except as provided by federal law, the registry must distribute all support amounts payable within two business days after receipt from the payor.
Amendment History
Laws 1997, p. 1613, § 33; Laws 2013, Act 224, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013.