Legal Definitions - FULL FAITH AND CREDIT FOR CHILD–SUPPORT ORDERS ACT

The Full Faith and Credit for Child-Support Orders Act is a federal law passed in 1994 to help parents collect child support across state lines. The law makes it easier for parents to enforce child support orders in different states.

Under this law, the state that issued the child-support order has the power to change or modify the order as long as the child or one or both parents still live in that state. If all parties agree in writing, the jurisdiction can be changed to another state. If a parent moves to a different state, the child-support order can be registered in the new state for enforcement.

For example, if a mother and father live in California and have a child-support order issued by a California court, but the father moves to Texas, the mother can register the order in Texas for enforcement. The California court still has the power to modify the order as long as the mother and child still live in California.

Another example is if a father and mother live in New York and have a child-support order issued by a New York court, but the father moves to Florida. The mother can register the order in Florida for enforcement, but the New York court still has the power to modify the order as long as the mother and child still live in New York.