§48-13-804. Default orders.

(a) In any proceeding in which support is to be established, if a party has been served with proper pleadings and notified of the date, time and place of a hearing before a family court judge and does not enter an appearance or file a response, the family court judge shall prepare a default order for entry establishing the defaulting party's child support obligation consistent with the child support guidelines contained in this article.

(1) When applying the child support guidelines, the court may accept financial information from the other party as accurate, pursuant to rule 13(b) of the Rules of Practice and Procedure for Family Court; or

(2) If financial information is not available, the court may attribute income to the party based upon either:

(i) The party's work history;

(ii) Minimum wage, if appropriate; or

(iii) At a minimum, enter a child support order in a nominal amount unless, in the court's discretion, a zero support order should be entered.

(b) All orders shall provide for automatic withholding from income of the obligor pursuant to part 4, article fourteen of this chapter.