- (a) The child support services agency of this state, upon request, shall provide services to a petitioner in a proceeding under this chapter.
(b) In providing services under this chapter to the petitioner, the child support services agency of this state shall
- (1) take all steps necessary to enable an appropriate tribunal of this state, another state, or a foreign country to obtain jurisdiction over the respondent;
- (2) request an appropriate tribunal to set a date, time, and place for a hearing;
- (3) make a reasonable effort to obtain all relevant information, including information as to income and property of the parties;
- (4) send notice in a record from an initiating, responding, or registering tribunal to the petitioner within five days after receipt, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays;
- (5) send a copy of a communication in a record from the respondent or the respondent's attorney to the petitioner within five days after receipt, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays; and
- (6) notify the petitioner if jurisdiction over the respondent cannot be obtained.
- (c) This chapter does not create or negate a relationship of attorney and client or other fiduciary relationship between the child support services agency or the attorney for the agency and the individual being assisted by the agency.
(d) A support enforcement agency of this state that requests registration of a child support order in this state for enforcement or modification shall make reasonable efforts
- (1) to ensure that the order to be registered is the controlling order; or
- (2) 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 the determination is made in a tribunal having jurisdiction to do so.
- (e) 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.
- (f) 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 under AS 25.25.319.