(a) Section 8-5-21 to the contrary notwithstanding, and in addition to and independent of any other remedy provided by law for the enforcement of support, the obligee, district attorney, or representative of the Department of Human Resources may file with a court of this state, as defined in this article, a petition seeking an order of income withholding. Additionally, for all existing support orders issued in the State of Alabama that do not provide for income withholding and upon the filing of an application for support services by the obligee with the department, the department shall petition the court for an income withholding order pursuant to this section. The obligee, district attorney, or representative of the department shall file with the clerk of the court the following documents:

(1) Three copies of a petition seeking the income withholding order, that include the name and address of both the obligor and obligee.

(2) One certified copy and two additional copies of the original support order with all modifications thereof.

(3) A sworn affidavit of the obligee, or a certified statement of the agency, of the arrearages, if any, and any assignment of support rights.

(4) Two copies of a notice of the proposed income withholding. The notice shall advise the obligor that an income withholding order shall be issued by the court in accordance with this section.

(b) The obligor shall be served by the methods authorized in the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure with a copy of all the documents listed in subsection (a) of this section.

(c) An income withholding order shall be issued by the court unless the obligor requests a hearing within 10 days of the date of service of the petition and notice. If the obligor requests a hearing, the hearing shall be held and a decision rendered within 45 days of the date of service of the petition and notice upon the obligor unless the obligee, district attorney, or representative of the department requests a continuation of the case to a later date or the court, on its own motion and for good cause shown, continues the case to a later date. An obligor may contest the issuance of an income withholding order under this section only on the basis of mistakes of fact. The income withholding order issued pursuant to this section may be issued by any court competent to adjudicate these proceedings, as that term is defined in this article, and shall be issued without the need for an amendment to the existing support order.

(d) An order entered pursuant to this section shall recite the amount required to be withheld as continuing support for each month, the total amount of all accumulated arrearages, if any, and the amount required to be withheld for each month in order to satisfy the arrearage. The order shall require withholding from the income due or becoming due the obligor at each pay period and payment to the clerk of the court or the department or its designee, whichever is appropriate, of the amounts ordered pursuant to this section. If the obligor's support obligation is required to be paid on a monthly basis and his or her pay periods are at more frequent intervals, the employer may withhold, at each pay period, amounts cumulatively sufficient to equal the total monthly arrearage due, if any, and the total monthly continuing support obligation and pay over to the clerk of the court or the department, or its designee, the amount withheld in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 30-3-61. When payments are ordered made directly to the clerk of the court, it shall be the responsibility of the clerk to disburse the payments in accordance with the court's order.

(e) Any order entered pursuant to this section shall be continuing and binding upon any employer upon whom it is served until further order of the court. A withholding order issued pursuant to this section shall not be served on the employer and shall not take effect unless the obligor is or becomes delinquent in a dollar amount equal to one month of support payments, the obligor requests that the withholding order take effect at an earlier date, or the court otherwise orders that the withholding order take effect at an earlier date.

(f) In the event the obligor becomes delinquent in the support payments in a dollar amount equal to one or more month's support obligation, or at the time as the obligor wishes to have the income withholding served upon his or her employer, the obligee or the obligor may file with the clerk of the court a sworn affidavit stating the appropriate basis upon which service of the income withholding order is now being sought. Upon the filing of the affidavit and the payment of a docket fee in the same amount as is prescribed by Section 12-19-75 for the filing of a garnishment proceeding, a copy of the withholding order issued pursuant to this section shall be served upon the employer pursuant to the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure. A copy shall also be served upon the obligor by first class mail. The cost of such a filing shall not be prepaid if, upon the filing of an affidavit of substantial hardship, the obligee or obligor is found by the court to be incapable of prepaying the cost or if the affidavit is filed by the department or a representative of the department, but in those cases the cost of the filing shall be taxed as costs against the obligor at the time service of the order is requested and shall be withheld from the obligor's first pay period subjected to the income withholding order. Additionally, when service upon the employer is requested by means of certified mail, the actual cost of the service shall be prepaid in all cases at the time the service is requested.

(g) When an income withholding order is entered pursuant to this section by a court other than the court which originally entered the support order, a copy of the income withholding order shall be forwarded by the clerk of the court entering the order to the clerk of the court which entered the original support order. The clerk of the court which entered the original order of support shall also be notified whenever the income withholding order is served upon an employer and withholdings are to commence.

(h) A withholding order issued under this section or Section 30-3-61 shall be promptly terminated when the obligor requests termination and withholding has not been terminated previously and subsequently initiated and there is a written agreement signed by both the custodial and absent parent, and in IV-D cases in which there is an assignment of support rights to the state, by the department, providing for an alternative arrangement as provided in subsection (c) of Section 30-3-61. In those cases, income withholding shall be reinstated if the absent parent fails to make payments in the amount of one month's support obligation or the absent parent requests immediate income withholding or the payee or the department requests that withholding be reinstated and the absent parent has failed to make a payment or payments on the date or dates due. A withholding order reinstated pursuant to this provision shall be permanent for the duration of the obligation for support, or until such time as the withholding order is modified or terminated pursuant to Section 30-3-64 or Section 30-3-65.

(i) A withholding order issued under this section or Section 30-3-61 shall be terminated without the necessity of a hearing when the obligor files with the clerk of the court that issued the withholding order a sworn affidavit stating that all children subject to the order have reached the age of majority and that no arrearage is owed on the withholding order or a spousal support order or stating other conditions of termination as specified in subsection (h) of this section. Upon filing of the affidavit and the payment of the docket fee prescribed by Section 12-19-75 for the filing of a garnishment proceeding, a copy of the affidavit shall be served by first class mail upon the obligee and upon the department when the case is a IV-D case. An order terminating income withholding shall be issued by the court unless the obligee or the department requests a hearing within 20 days of service of the affidavit. If the obligee or the department requests a hearing, the hearing shall be held and a decision rendered within 45 days of the date of service of the affidavit upon the obligee and the department, as appropriate, unless the obligor requests a continuation of the case to a later date or the court, on its own motion and for good cause shown, continues the case to a later date. The termination of the income withholding issued pursuant to this section may be issued without the need for a hearing except as specified in this section. A copy of the termination of income withholding order issued pursuant to this section shall be served upon the employer pursuant to the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure. A copy shall also be served upon the obligee and the department as appropriate by first class mail. Additionally, when service upon the employer is requested by means of certified mail, the actual cost of the service shall be prepaid in all cases at the time the service is requested.