§571-51.5  Modification of support and visitation decrees.  (a)  The special court trustee may assist any parent, guardian, or custodian materially affected by a court order or decree with the modification of any provision of the order or decree pertaining to support payments or with the enforcement of visitation rights; provided the special court trustee may assist in modifying support payments only upon finding, after investigation, reasonable cause to believe that the relative financial condition between the obligor and the person who receives the child support payments has substantially changed.  For purposes of this section, such a substantial change has occurred if:

     (1)  The obligor has involuntarily suffered a material reduction in financial resources; or

     (2)  The person who receives child support payments has enjoyed a material increase in financial resources.

     (b)  The special court trustee may conduct an investigation for the purposes of subsection (a) where a person notifies the special court trustee that the relative financial condition between the obligor and the person who receives the child support payments has substantially changed.

     (c)  The special court trustee may utilize the services of public or private social agencies in conducting investigations under this section and in making the written findings to the court.  Such written findings shall be received in evidence under the same conditions as would those of the special court trustee.

     (d)  The special court trustee shall submit findings and recommendations pertaining to the modification of support payments or enforcement of visitation rights in writing to the court after investigation under subsection (b).  The special court trustee shall provide copies of the findings and recommendations to all persons materially affected by the proposed modification or enforcement.  Any person materially affected by the proposed modification or enforcement who opposes the findings and recommendations shall file a written objection with the court or the clerk of the court no later than fifteen days after receipt of the findings and recommendations.

     (e)  When warranted, the court shall hold a hearing on the recommendations of the special court trustee no later than thirty days after the expiration of the fifteen-day period under subsection (d).

     (f)  Whenever the court, in accordance with this section, approves in full or in part the recommendations of the special court trustee, the court, within a period of not more than ten days after the hearing, shall modify the decree or order to reflect the approved recommendations.

     (g)  Court costs, service fees, and the expenses of any investigation conducted by the special court trustee, in the discretion of the court, may be assessed wholly or partially against any parent, guardian, or custodian.

     (h)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to the effect that child support and visitation compliance be conditioned upon each other.  Each shall be treated as an independent right of the child as well as of a parent. [L 1986, c 332, §27; am L 1989, c 261, §18]