(a) Except as otherwise provided in this article, this part applies to all proceedings under this article.

(b) This article provides for the following proceedings:

(1) Establishment of an order for spousal support or child support pursuant to Part 4 of this article;

(2) Enforcement of a support order and income-withholding order of another state without registration pursuant to Part 5 of this article;

(3) Registration of an order for spousal support or child support of another state for enforcement pursuant to Part 6 of this article;

(4) Modification of an order for child support or spousal support issued by a tribunal of Georgia pursuant to Code Sections 19-11-112 through 19-11-115;

(5) Registration of an order for child support of another state for modification pursuant to Part 6 of this article;

(6) Determination of parentage pursuant to Part 7 of this article; and

(7) Assertion of jurisdiction over nonresidents pursuant to Code Sections 19-11-110 and 19-11-111.

(c) An individual petitioner or a support enforcement agency may commence a proceeding authorized under this article by filing a petition in an initiating tribunal for forwarding to a responding tribunal or by filing a petition or a comparable pleading directly in a tribunal of another state which has or can obtain personal jurisdiction over the respondent.