13.40.145 - Payment of fees for legal services by publicly funded counsel -- Hearing -- Order or decree -- Entering and enforcing judgments.

Payment of fees for legal services by publicly funded counsel — Hearing — Order or decree — Entering and enforcing judgments.

Upon disposition or at the time of a modification or at the time an appellate court remands the case to the trial court following a ruling in favor of the state the court may order the juvenile or a parent or another person legally obligated to support the juvenile to appear, and the court may inquire into the ability of those persons to pay a reasonable sum representing in whole or in part the fees for legal services provided by publicly funded counsel and the costs incurred by the public in producing a verbatim report of proceedings and clerk's papers for use in the appellate courts.

     If, after hearing, the court finds the juvenile, parent, or other legally obligated person able to pay part or all of the attorney's fees and costs incurred on appeal, the court may enter such order or decree as is equitable and may enforce the order or decree by execution, or in any way in which a court of equity may enforce its decrees.

     In no event may the court order an amount to be paid for attorneys' fees that exceeds the average per case fee allocation for juvenile proceedings in the county where the services have been provided or the average per case fee allocation for juvenile appeals established by the Washington supreme court.

     In any case in which there is no compliance with an order or decree of the court requiring a juvenile, parent, or other person legally obligated to support the juvenile to pay for legal services provided by publicly funded counsel, the court may, upon such person or persons being properly summoned or voluntarily appearing, proceed to inquire into the amount due upon the order or decree and enter judgment for that amount against the defaulting party or parties. Judgment shall be docketed in the same manner as are other judgments for the payment of money.

     The county in which such judgments are entered shall be denominated the judgment creditor, and the judgments may be enforced by the prosecuting attorney of that county. Any moneys recovered thereon shall be paid into the registry of the court and shall be disbursed to such person, persons, agency, or governmental entity as the court finds entitled thereto.

     Such judgments shall remain valid and enforceable for a period of ten years subsequent to entry.

     When the juvenile reaches the age of eighteen or at the conclusion of juvenile court jurisdiction, whichever occurs later, the superior court clerk must docket the remaining balance of the juvenile's legal financial obligations in the same manner as other judgments for the payment of money. The judgment remains valid and enforceable until ten years from the date of its imposition. The clerk of superior court may seek extension of the judgment for legal financial obligations, including crime victims' assessments, in the same manner as RCW 6.17.020 for purposes of collection as allowed under RCW 36.18.190.

[1997 c 121 § 6; 1995 c 275 § 4; 1984 c 86 § 1.]

Notes: Finding -- Severability -- 1995 c 275: See notes following RCW 10.73.150.