1998 Minnesota Statutes

     518.255 Provision of legal services by the public 
  authority. 

    The provision of services under the child support 
 enforcement program that includes services by an attorney or an 
 attorney's representative employed by, under contract to, or 
 representing the public authority does not create an 
 attorney-client relationship with any party other than the 
 public authority.  Attorneys employed by or under contract with 
 the public authority have an affirmative duty to inform 
 applicants and recipients of services under the child support 
 enforcement program that no attorney-client relationship exists 
 between the attorney and the applicant or recipient.  This 
 section applies to all legal services provided by the child 
 support enforcement program.  

    The written notice must inform the individual applicant or 
 recipient of services that no attorney-client relationship 
 exists between the attorney and the applicant or recipient; the 
 rights of the individual as a subject of data under section 
 13.04, subdivision 2; and that the individual has a right to 
 have an attorney represent the individual. 

    Data disclosed by an applicant for, or recipient of, child 
 support services to an attorney employed by, or under contract 
 with, the public authority is private data on an individual.  
 However, the data may be disclosed under section 13.46, 
 subdivision 2, clauses (1) to (3) and (6) to (19), and in order 
 to obtain, modify or enforce child support, medical support, and 
 parentage determinations. 

    An attorney employed by, or under contract with, the public 
 authority may disclose additional information received from an 
 applicant for, or recipient of, services for other purposes with 
 the consent of the individual applicant for, or recipient of, 
 child support services. 

    HIST: 1995 c 257 art 4 s 13