Case Name: James Lawrence SMITH, Appellant, v. Pearline J. SMITH, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1983-05-24
Citations: 431 So. 2d 726
Docket Number: No. 82-1883
Parties: James Lawrence SMITH, Appellant, v. Pearline J. SMITH, Appellee.
Judges: Before BARKDULL, HUBBART and JORGENSON, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 431
Pages: 726–726

Head Matter:
James Lawrence SMITH, Appellant, v. Pearline J. SMITH, Appellee.
No. 82-1883.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
May 24, 1983.
Thomas F. Luken, Fort Lauderdale, for appellant.
Linda Singer, Miami, for appellee.
Before BARKDULL, HUBBART and JORGENSON, JJ.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
The trial court dismissed with prejudice a counterclaim to modify a foreign judgment which was the subject matter of a proceedings to domesticate.
Pending the domestication of the foreign judgment, it would have been appropriate for the trial judge to either abate proceedings on the counterclaim to modify or to dismiss it without prejudice. Sackler v. Sackler, 47 So.2d 292 (Fla.1950); Smith v. Smith, 197 So.2d 16 (Fla. 3d DCA 1967); Fischbach v. Fischbach, 112 So.2d 880 (Fla. 3d DCA 1959).
It should not have been dismissed with prejudice and we therefore modify the order of dismissal by striking "with prejudice" and inserting in lieu thereof, "without prejudice".
Affirmed as modified.