§ 19-11-75.Right of appeal; effect of appeal on order of support
Chapter 11. Enforcement of Duty of Support · Article 2. Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act · Last amended 1958 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-11-75
Plain-English Summary
This section belongs to Article 2, Georgia’s version of the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act (URESA). Under § 19-11-40.1, no new petition may be filed and no new proceeding may begin under Article 2 on or after January 1, 1998; the article applies only to proceedings pending before that date. Interstate support cases begun since then fall under Article 3, the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which starts at § 19-11-100.
This section does two things. First, it gives any respondent in an action under the article — the person from whom support is sought — the right of appeal as in civil actions. The section borrows the ordinary civil appeal process rather than creating a special one.
Second, it keeps support flowing while the appeal runs. An appeal does not affect any order for support the court made. The order continues in effect until the appeal is decided. If the appeal is denied, the order stays in effect after that until the court changes it by further order. So filing an appeal is not a way to stop paying.
The section names only respondents. It doesn’t speak to an appeal by the person seeking support. Related sections cover the orders that might be appealed: § 19-11-63 lets the responding court order support and arrearages, and § 19-11-74 lets it order a temporary allowance before the final hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I appeal a URESA child support order in Georgia?
A respondent can. This section gives any respondent in an action under the article the right of appeal as in civil actions. The section speaks only to respondents; it doesn’t address an appeal by the person seeking support. The appeal proceeds as in civil actions.
Do I have to keep paying support while my appeal is pending?
Yes, in a URESA case. The section says an order for support is not affected by an appeal and continues in effect until the appeal is decided. Filing an appeal doesn’t suspend the payment obligation. The order stays in force until the appeal is decided, and longer if the appeal is denied.
What happens to the support order if I lose the appeal?
It stays in effect. If the appeal is denied, the order continues until the court changes it by further order. Nothing in the appeal itself ends or reduces the obligation. Any change must come through a further order of the court.
What appeal procedure applies in a URESA case?
The same as in civil actions. The section gives the respondent “the right of appeal as in civil actions,” so the ordinary civil appeal rules apply rather than a special procedure written for support cases. The section doesn’t set out separate deadlines or steps of its own.
Does this appeal rule apply to new interstate cases?
No. Article 2 applies only to proceedings pending before January 1, 1998, under § 19-11-40.1. Cases begun after that date fall under Article 3, the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, which begins at § 19-11-100. There, § 19-11-122 has a responding Georgia tribunal apply the procedural and substantive law generally applicable to similar Georgia proceedings.
Amendment History
Laws 1958, p. 34, § 33.