125B.150 - Assistance by district attorney to establish parentage and obligation of support and to enforce payment of support; confidentiality; regulations. - Nevada Statutes

125B.150  Assistance by district attorney to establish parentage and obligation of support and to enforce payment of support; confidentiality; regulations.

      1.  The district attorney of the county of residence of the child, or of a parent, alleged parent or guardian who does not have physical custody of the child, shall take such action as is necessary to establish parentage of the child and locate and take legal action, including the establishment or adjustment of an obligation of support, against a person who has a duty to support the child when requested to do so by the parent, alleged parent or guardian or a public agency which provides assistance to the parent, alleged parent, guardian or child. If the court for cause transfers the action to another county, the clerk of the receiving court shall notify the district attorney of that county, and that district attorney shall proceed to prosecute the cause of action and take such further action as is necessary to establish parentage and to establish or adjust the obligation of support and to enforce the payment of support pursuant to this chapter or chapter 31A, 126, 130 or 425 of NRS.

      2.  In a county where the district attorney has deputies to aid the district attorney in the performance of his or her duties, the district attorney shall designate himself or herself or a particular deputy as responsible for performing the duties imposed by subsection 1.

      3.  Except as otherwise provided in NRS 126.101, the district attorney and his or her deputies do not represent the parent, alleged parent, guardian or child in the performance of their duties pursuant to this chapter and chapter 31A, 126, 130 or 425 of NRS, but are rendering a public service as representatives of the State.

      4.  Officials of the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services of the Department of Health and Human Services are entitled to access to the information obtained by the district attorney if that information is relevant to the performance of their duties. The district attorney or his or her deputy shall inform each person who provides information pursuant to this section concerning the limitations on the confidentiality between lawyer and client under these circumstances.

      5.  Disclosures of criminal activity by a parent or child are not confidential.

      6.  The district attorney shall inform each parent who applies for the assistance of the district attorney in this regard that a procedure is available to collect unpaid support from any refund owed to the parent who has a duty to support the child because an excessive amount of money was withheld to pay the parent’s federal income tax. The district attorney shall submit to the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services all documents and information it requires to pursue such a collection if:

      (a) The applicant is not receiving public assistance.

      (b) The district attorney has in his or her records:

             (1) A copy of the order of support for a child and any modifications of the order which specify their date of issuance and the amount of the ordered support;

             (2) A copy of a record of payments received or, if no such record is available, an affidavit signed by the custodial parent attesting to the amount of support owed; and

             (3) The current address of the custodial parent.

      (c) From the records in the possession of the district attorney, the district attorney has reason to believe that the amount of unpaid support is not less than $500.

Ê Before submitting the documents and information to the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services, the district attorney shall verify the accuracy of the documents submitted relating to the amount claimed as unpaid support and the name and social security number of the parent who has a duty to support the child. If the district attorney has verified this information previously, the district attorney need not reverify it before submitting it to the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services.

      7.  The Division of Welfare and Supportive Services shall adopt such regulations as are necessary to carry out the provisions of subsection 6.

      (Added to NRS by 1969, 589; A 1979, 1281; 1981, 1574; 1987, 2252; 1989, 670, 1642; 1995, 2415; 1999, 874)