{"data":{"id":"us-me/19-a-m.r.s.-3007","jurisdiction":"us-me","citation":"19-A M.R.S. §3007","heading":"Duties of the department as the support enforcement agency","body":"1.  Services to petitioner.  The department, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter.\n2.  Duties.  If the department provides services to the petitioner, the department shall:\nA.  Take all steps necessary to enable an appropriate tribunal of this State or another state or a foreign country to obtain jurisdiction over the respondent;\nB.  Request an appropriate tribunal to set a date, time and place for a hearing;\nC.  Make a reasonable effort to obtain all relevant information, including information as to income and property of the parties;\nD.  Within 2 days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after receipt of a written notice in a record from an initiating, responding or registering tribunal, send a copy of the notice to the petitioner;\nE.  Within 2 days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after receipt of a written communication in a record from the respondent or the respondent's attorney, send a copy of the communication to the petitioner; and\nF.  Notify the petitioner if jurisdiction over the respondent can not be obtained.\n2-A.  Registration; reasonable efforts.  If the department requests registration of a child support order in this State for enforcement or for modification, the department shall make reasonable efforts:\nA.  To ensure that the order to be registered is the controlling order; or\nB.  If 2 or more child support orders exist and the identity of the controlling order has not been determined, to ensure that a request for such a determination is made in a tribunal having jurisdiction to do so.\n2-B.  Conversion of amounts to dollars.  If the department requests registration and enforcement of a support order, arrears or judgment stated in a foreign currency, the department shall convert the amounts stated in the foreign currency into the equivalent amounts in dollars under the applicable official or market exchange rate as publicly reported.\n2-C.  Issuance upon request.  The department shall issue or request a tribunal of this State to issue a child support order and an income-withholding order that redirect payment of current support, arrears and interest if requested to do so by a support enforcement agency of another state pursuant to section 3019.\n3.  No attorney or fiduciary relationship.  This chapter does not create or negate a relationship of attorney and client or other fiduciary relationship between the department or the attorney for the department and the individual being assisted by the department.","path":["TITLE 19-A: DOMESTIC RELATIONS","PART 3: PARENTS AND CHILDREN","CHAPTER 67: UNIFORM INTERSTATE FAMILY SUPPORT ACT","SUBCHAPTER 3: CIVIL PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION"],"source_url":"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/19-A/title19-Asec3007.html","current_through":"October 1, 2025","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-04T15:12:29Z","sha256":"c14051f121bcff0971810dd034d201ea3ab56cf254471c1eb723033db549d1d5","source_id":"us-me","stale":false,"prev":"us-me/19-a-m.r.s.-3006","next":"us-me/19-a-m.r.s.-3008"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}