Section 11 – Acknowledgment of Parentage; Approval; Parental Agreements Regarding Custody, Support and Visitation
Section 11. (a) A written voluntary acknowledgment of parentage executed jointly by the putative father, whether a minor or not, and the mother of the child, whether a minor or not, and filed with the registrar of vital records and statistics or with the court shall be recognized as a sufficient basis for seeking an […]
Section 12 – Trial; Exclusion of Public
Section 12. In actions under this chapter, the trial shall be by the court without a jury. In an action to establish paternity, the court shall, upon request of any party, exclude the general public from the room where the trial is held and may admit only persons directly interested in the case, including officers […]
Section 13 – Inspection of Documents; Copies; Segregation of Records
Section 13. In an action to establish paternity or in which paternity of a child is an issue, all complaints, pleadings, papers, documents or reports filed in connection therewith, docket entries in the permanent docket and record books shall be segregated and unavailable for inspection only if the judge of the court where such records […]
Section 14 – Complaints Brought Prior to Birth
Section 14. An action to establish paternity of a child may be instituted during pregnancy of the mother but shall only be filed by the mother or her representative or by the IV–D agency as set forth in chapter 119A on behalf of the mother. In the case of any complaint brought prior to the […]
Section 15 – Temporary Orders; Enforcement; Information Required to Be Given to Petitioner; Domestic Violence Record Search
Section 15. At any time pursuant to an action under this chapter, the court may upon motion of any party or on its own motion issue a temporary order or final judgment including a vacate, restraining or no-contact order to protect a party or child. Any such order or judgment, including a custody provision if […]
Section 16 – Competency to Testify; Refusal to Testify; Costs of Tests; Admissibility of Evidence; Failure of Party to Attend; Testimony by Telephone or Affidavit
Section 16. (a) Both the plaintiff and the defendant are competent to testify in proceedings hereunder. (b) Upon refusal of a witness, including a party, to testify under oath and produce evidence, the court may order such witness or party to testify under oath and produce evidence concerning all relevant facts. If a witness or […]
Section 17 – Genetic Marker Tests; Affidavit; Refusal to Submit to Test; Costs
Section 17. In an action under this chapter to establish paternity of a child born out of wedlock, the court shall, on motion of a party and upon a proper showing except as provided in this section, order the mother, the child and the putative father to submit to one or more genetic marker tests […]
Section 18 – Judgments or Orders of Support; Enforcement
Section 18. Each judgment or order of support which is issued, reviewed or modified pursuant to this chapter shall conform to and shall be enforced in accordance with the provisions of chapter one hundred and nineteen A.
Section 19 – Judgment or Temporary Order of Support; Enforcement
Section 19. A judgment of support issued in conclusion of a proceeding under this chapter or a temporary support order issued under this chapter may be enforced with one or more of the following methods: (1) contempt in accordance with sections thirty-four and thirty-four A of chapter two hundred and fifteen; (2) execution of the […]
Section 20 – Modification of Judgments; Jurisdiction
Section 20. A court with original jurisdiction pursuant to section three has continuing jurisdiction, upon a complaint filed by a person or agency entitled to file original actions, to modify judgments of support, custody or visitation; provided however, that no modification concerning custody or visitation shall be granted unless the court finds that a substantial […]