Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024
Section 97-1-3 - The Bureau for Child Support Enforcement3.1. The Bureau for Child Support Enforcement and its employees represent the interests of the State. The bureau does not represent the interests of any individual litigant or child. The term "the State" means the State of West Virginia or any other state, country, tribe or territory involved in the specific individual case.3.2. The authority of the Bureau for Child Support Enforcement to act is governed by state and federal law. The bureau has no authority to provide services related to the establishment or enforcement of custody, visitation or shared parenting of a minor child and no authority to establish or modify orders relating to spousal support.3.3. In addition to any actions taken by the bureau, an applicant for bureau services retains the right and the obligation to take any other actions he or she may see fit to take to establish, collect, protect and preserve any support that is due and owing.3.3.a. Any party to a child support or spousal support case is free to seek counsel from an attorney of his or her own choosing and to be represented by an attorney of his or her own choosing in any legal or departmental proceeding.3.3.b. The employees of the bureau shall respect the right of a party to obtain counsel and shall not communicate directly with a party with respect to legal issues if the individual has retained counsel.