§ 19-11-184.8.Language
Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 3. Uniform Interstate Family Support Act · Part 7. Determination of Parentage · Last amended 2013 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-11-184.8
Plain-English Summary
Foreign support orders and agreements often arrive in languages other than English. This section sets a two-part rule for any record filed with a Georgia tribunal under the convention provisions. First, the record must be in its original language — a translation alone won’t do. Second, if the original isn’t in English, an English translation verified by the translator must come with it.
The rule reaches every filing under this part. That includes the six records required to register a convention support order under § 19-11-184.1 and the two records required to enforce a foreign support agreement under § 19-11-184.5. A “record” is information inscribed on a tangible medium or stored electronically or in another medium and retrievable in perceivable form (§ 19-11-101), so electronic documents count. Georgia’s tribunals for this article are the superior courts, the Office of State Administrative Hearings and the Department of Human Services (§ 19-11-102).
The section requires that the translator verify the translation. It doesn’t say what form the verification takes, and it doesn’t require a court-certified translator, so filers should check what the particular tribunal expects. Like the rest of this part, the rule applies only to support proceedings under the convention (§ 19-11-181). The section took effect July 1, 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do foreign child support documents have to be translated into English for a Georgia court?
Yes, in a Hague convention case. A record filed with a Georgia tribunal under the convention provisions must be in its original language and, if that language isn’t English, must be accompanied by an English translation verified by the translator.
Can I file only the English translation of a foreign support order?
No. This section requires every record filed under the convention provisions to be in its original language. The English translation, verified by the translator, must accompany the original; it doesn’t replace it. So a registration request under § 19-11-184.1 would include the foreign-language order and its verified translation. A record already in English needs no translation.
Who has to verify the translation?
The translator. The section says the English translation must be verified by the translator. It doesn’t specify the form of verification or require a particular credential, so it is worth checking with the tribunal or the clerk about what it accepts.
Does the translation rule apply to electronic records?
Yes. The section covers any “record” filed under this part, and § 19-11-101 defines a record as information inscribed on a tangible medium or stored in an electronic or other medium and retrievable in perceivable form. An electronic foreign order or agreement in another language needs an English translation verified by the translator, along with the original.
Which Georgia tribunals does this translation rule cover?
Any “tribunal of Georgia” receiving a filing under the convention provisions. Under § 19-11-102, those are the superior courts, the Office of State Administrative Hearings and the Department of Human Services. The rule applies only in support proceedings under the Hague convention (§ 19-11-181), not in ordinary interstate cases.
Amendment History
Laws 2013, Act 224, § 1, eff. July 1, 2013.