§ 10-328. Special rules of evidence and procedure

   (a) Physical presence of plaintiff. -- The physical presence of a nonresident party who is an individual in a tribunal of this State is not required for the establishment, enforcement, or modification of a support order or the rendition of a judgment determining parentage.

(b) Verified complaint and accompanying documents. -- An affidavit, a document substantially complying with federally mandated forms, or a document incorporated by reference in any of them, which would not be excluded under the hearsay rule if given in person, is admissible in evidence if given under penalty of perjury by a party or witness residing in another state.

(c) Copy of the record. -- A copy of the record of child support payments certified as a true copy of the original by the custodian of the record may be forwarded to a responding tribunal. The copy is evidence of facts asserted in it, and is admissible to show whether payments were made.

(d) Health care and parentage testing bills. -- Copies of bills for testing for parentage, and for prenatal and postnatal health care of the mother and child, furnished to the adverse party at least 10 days before trial, are admissible in evidence to prove the amount of the charges billed and that the charges were reasonable, necessary, and customary.

(e) Electronically transmitted documents. -- Documentary evidence transmitted from another state to a tribunal of this State by telephone, telecopier, or other means that do not provide an original record may not be excluded from evidence on an objection based on the means of transmission.

(f) Physical presence of witnesses. -- In a proceeding under this subtitle, a tribunal of this State shall permit a party or witness residing in another state to be deposed or to testify by telephone, audiovisual means, or other electronic means at a designated tribunal or other location in that state. A tribunal of this State shall cooperate with tribunals of other states in designating an appropriate location for the deposition or testimony.

(g) Adverse inference from refusal to testify. -- If a party called to testify at a civil hearing refuses to answer on the ground that the testimony may be self-incriminating, the trier of fact may draw an adverse inference from the refusal.

(h) Husband and wife privilege. -- Laws attaching a privilege against the disclosure of communications between husband and wife do not apply to proceedings under this subtitle.

(i) Husband and wife or parent and child testimony. -- The defense of immunity based on the relationship of husband and wife or parent and child does not apply in a proceeding under this subtitle.

(j) Admissibility of certified true copy of acknowledgment of paternity. -- A voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, certified as a true copy, is admissible to establish parentage of the child.

HISTORY: 1996, ch. 667, § 2; 1997, ch. 609, § 1; 2008, ch. 522; 2010, ch. 122.