38-2279. Withholding order for child support; filing; service; jurisdiction; consolidation with child in need of care case; modification. (a) A person entitled to receive child support under an order issued pursuant to the code may file with the clerk of the district court in the county in which the judgment was rendered the original child support order and the original income withholding order, if any. If the original child support or income withholding order is unavailable for any reason, a certified or authenticated copy of the order may be substituted. The clerk of the district court shall number the child support order as a case filed under chapter 60 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, and enter the numbering of the case on the appearance docket of the case. Registration of a child support order under this section shall be without cost or docket fee.

(b) If the number assigned to a case under the code appears in the caption of a document filed pursuant to this section, the clerk of the district court may obliterate that number and replace it with the new case number assigned pursuant to this section.

(c) The filing of the child support order shall constitute registration under this section. Upon registration of the child support order, all matters related to that order, including, but not limited to, modification of the order, shall proceed under the new case number except as otherwise provided in this section. Registration of a child support order under this section does not confer jurisdiction in the registration case for custody, residency or parenting time issues.

(d) The person registering a child support order shall serve a copy of the registered child support order and income withholding order, if any, upon the party or interested parties by first-class mail. The person registering the child support order shall file, in the official file for each child affected, either a copy of the registered order showing the new case number or a statement that includes the caption, new case number and date of registration of the child support order.

(e) If the secretary is entitled to receive payment under an order which may be registered under this section, the county or district attorney shall take the actions permitted or required in subsections (a) and (d) upon request of the secretary.

(f) A child support order registered pursuant to this section shall have the same force and effect as an original child support order entered under chapter 60 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, including, but not limited to:

(1) The registered order shall become a lien on the real estate of the judgment debtor in the county from the date of registration;

(2) execution or other action to enforce the registered order may be had from the date of registration;

(3) the registered order may itself be registered pursuant to any law, including, but not limited to, the uniform interstate family support act, K.S.A. 23-9,101 et seq., and amendments thereto; and

(4) if any installment of support due under the registered order becomes a dormant judgment, it may be revived pursuant to K.S.A. 60-2404, and amendments thereto.

(g) Subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 23-9,207, and amendments thereto, the court in the registration case shall have continuing jurisdiction over the child support action and the parties thereto and subject matter and, except as otherwise provided in subsection (h) or (i), may modify any prior support order if a material change in circumstances is shown irrespective of the present domicile of the child or parents. If more than three years have passed since the date of the original support order or the most recent modification order, a material change in circumstances need not be shown. The court may make a modification of child support retroactive to a date at least one month after the date that the motion to modify was filed with the court.

(h) At the direction of the judge in the child in need of care case, the registration case may be consolidated with the child in need of care case pursuant to the code of civil procedure so long as the child in need of care case is open. While the cases are consolidated, any motion to modify the registered support order shall be filed in the child in need of care case. If any support rights are assigned, the assignee shall be treated as an interested party in the consolidated cases for all proceedings involving the support order. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent or limit enforcement of the support order.

(i) If the person requesting modification of current support shows that the support order was based upon one or more of the presumptions provided in K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 38-2277, and amendments thereto, or upon a stipulation pursuant to subsection (c) of K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 38-2277, and amendments thereto, the court shall apply the Kansas child support guidelines adopted pursuant to K.S.A. 20-165, and amendments thereto, without requiring a showing that a material change of circumstances has occurred, without regard to any previous presumption or stipulation used to determine the amount of the child support order and irrespective of the present domicile of the child or parents.

History: L. 2006, ch. 200, § 74; L. 2010, ch. 75, § 17; July 1.