§ 15-23.1-313 - Costs and fees. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 15-23.1-313

   § 15-23.1-313  Costs and fees. – (a) The petitioner may not be required to pay a filing fee or other costs.

   (b) If an obligee prevails, a responding tribunal may assessagainst an obligor filing fees, reasonable attorney's fees, other costs, andnecessary travel and other reasonable expenses incurred by the obligee and theobligee's witnesses. The tribunal may not assess fees, costs, or expensesagainst the obligee or the support enforcement agency of either the initiatingor the responding state, except as provided by other law. Attorney's fees maybe ordered as costs, and may be ordered paid directly to the attorney, who mayenforce the order in the attorney's own name. Payment of support owed to theobligee has priority over fees, costs and expenses.

   (c) The tribunal shall order the payment of costs andreasonable attorney's fees if it determines that a hearing was requestedprimarily for delay. In a proceeding under Article 6, §§ 15-23.1-601– 15-23.1-614, a hearing is presumed to have been requested primarily fordelay if a registered support order is confirmed or enforced without change.