UIFSA

The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, or “UIFSA” is a model federal act that provides for how States determine jurisdiction for establishing and modifying child support orders, when the custodial parent and child live in a different state from the non-custodial parent. Like UCCJEA, which addresses child custody jurisdiction, UIFSA is a federal model act which the different States adopt, to govern child support jurisdiction.

In Hawaii, UIFSA is contained in Hawaii Revised Statutes section 576B. As noted above, UIFSA only applies when there is more than one State involved in child support. Among other things, the Hawaii UIFSA provides:

• guidelines to determine each State’s authority and jurisdiction
• which State’s child support laws will be applied
• that a “new” State will defer to the original State issuing the child support order
• that States must honor each other’s income withholding orders to enforce child support payments.

UIFSA replaced the earlier interstate child support acts, the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act (“URESA”) and its update, the Revised Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act (“RURESA”) .
If the other parent resides in another state and you are seeking to establish child support or are seeking to modify an existing child support order, call us at (808) 593-2199, or e-mail us to set up a consult, and we’ll be happy to talk about your options.