Duties of support enforcement agency; reasonable efforts required for registration of orders

(1) A support enforcement agency of this state, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter. (2) A support enforcement agency of this state that is providing services to the petitioner shall: (a) Take all steps necessary to enable an appropriate tribunal of this state, another state or a foreign country to obtain jurisdiction over the respondent; (b) Request an appropriate tribunal to set a date, time and place for a hearing; (c) Make a reasonable effort to obtain all relevant information, including information as to income and property of the parties; (d) Within seven days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after receipt of notice in a record from an initiating, responding or registering tribunal, send a copy of the notice to the petitioner; (e) Within seven days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after receipt of communication in a record from the respondent or the respondent’s attorney, send a copy of the communication to the petitioner; and (f) Notify the petitioner if jurisdiction over the respondent cannot be obtained. (3) A support enforcement agency of this state that requests registration of a child support order in this state for enforcement or for modification shall make reasonable efforts: (a) To ensure that the order to be registered is the controlling order; or (b) If two 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. (4) A support enforcement agency of this state that requests registration and enforcement of a support order, arrears or judgment stated in a foreign currency 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. (5) A support enforcement agency of this state 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 ORS 110.591. (6) This chapter does not create or negate a relationship of attorney and client or other fiduciary relationship between a support enforcement agency or the attorney for the agency and the individual being assisted by the agency.