Montana Code Annotated 2017

TITLE 40. FAMILY LAW

CHAPTER 6. PARENT AND CHILD

Part 1. Uniform Parentage Act

Enforcement Of Judgment Or Order

40-6-117. Enforcement of judgment or order. (1) If existence of the father and child relationship is declared or paternity or a duty of support has been acknowledged or adjudicated under this part or under prior law, the court may, except as provided in 40-5-909 and 40-6-116(8), order support payments to be made to the mother, the clerk of the court, or a person, corporation, or agency designated to administer them for the benefit of the child under the supervision of the court.

(2) Full faith and credit must be given to a determination of paternity made by any other state, whether presumed by law, established through voluntary acknowledgment, or established by administrative or judicial processes.

(3) Willful failure to obey the judgment or order of the court is a civil contempt of the court. All remedies for the enforcement of judgments apply.

(4) (a) A district court judgment, decree, or order that establishes or modifies a child support obligation must include a provision requiring the child support obligation to be paid, without need for further order of the court, to:

(i) the legal custodian of the minor child;

(ii) a person, organization, or agency to which the legal custodian voluntarily or involuntarily relinquishes actual physical custody of the child; or

(iii) any other person, organization, or agency entitled by law, assignment, or similar reason to receive or collect the child support obligation.

(b) If the department of public health and human services is providing services under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, payment of support must be made through the department for distribution to the person, organization, or agency entitled to the payment.

(c) A judgment, decree, or order that omits the provision required by subsection (4)(a) is subject to the requirements of subsection (4)(a) without need for an amendment to the judgment, decree, or order or for any further action by the court.

History: En. 61-318 by Sec. 18, Ch. 512, L. 1975; R.C.M. 1947, 61-318; amd. Sec. 22, Ch. 631, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 70, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 90, Ch. 552, L. 1997.