How Do You Understand Interstate Custody Laws?
All states are governed by the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA), a law that determines which state can make custody decisions. Understand that all the states and the District of Columbia are governed by the UCCJA. Realize that this law sets out the rules that determine which state can hear a custody case and helps clear up a lot of the confusion that used to exist when two states could make custody decisions involving the same child. Under this law, states must try to cooperate with one another and must recognize and enforce the custody orders of other states. Know that a state can hear a custody case if the child has resided in the state for at least six months. If the state was the child’s home state within the last six months but the child was removed from the state by one of the parents, the state that the child was removed from can still hear the case. Recognize that if there are significant connections in the case to a state or if there is significant evidence in th
