Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act

The Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act (URESA), passed in 1950, concerns interstate cooperation in the collection of spousal and child support. The law establishes procedures for enforcement in cases in which the person owing alimony or child support is in one state and the person to whom the support is owed is in another state (hence the word "reciprocal").

The original Act was first passed in 1950 by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. It was amended in 1952 and again in 1958. The most recent amendments were enacted in 1968 and included improved machinery for finding the person owing support; guidelines for the conduct of the trial in the responding state; guidelines for cases where paternity is in question or where there has been interference with visitation rights; and simplified procedures for registering and enforcing out-of-state support orders. Such acts, substantially similar in content, have been passed in all 50 states.

Full faith and credit applicability

Child support is established in proceedings in which the court has personal jurisdiction over both parties, i.e. the mother and father. For post-divorce obligations, this may be the inter parte divorce proceeding itself, where the issues implicate res judicata and are entitled to full faith and credit. Under Article 4 of the United States Constitution, "Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state." Courts therefore may use the full-faith-and-credit article to enforce final judgments that have been entered by the courts of another state.