Title: Hughes v. Hughes
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 363, 2007
State: Delaware
Issuer: Delaware Supreme Court
Date: November 9, 2007

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE 
ROBERT E. HUGHES,  
 
) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
)  NO. 363, 2007 
 
 
Petitioner Below,  
) 
 
 
Appellant,  
 
)  Court Below:  Family Court 
 
 
 
 
 
 
)  of the State of Delaware in 
v. 
 
 
 
 
 
)  and for Kent County 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
JOSIE M. HUGHES, 
 
 
)  Case No. CK06-01697 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
 
 
Respondent Below, 
) 
 
 
Appellee. 
 
 
) 
 
Submitted:  October 31, 2007 
Decided:  November 9, 2007 
 
Before STEELE, Chief Justice, HOLLAND, BERGER, JACOBS and 
RIDGELY, Justices, constituting the court en banc. 
 
O R D E R 
 
 
This 9th day of November 2007, it appears to the Court that: 
 
(1) 
Robert Hughes, appellant, appeals a Family Court judge’s order 
denying a Motion to Reopen Divorce Proceedings and declining to approve a 
Stipulation and Order Regarding Parentage Determination.  The Family Court 
judge denied Hughes’s petitions because he found that Hughes did not meet either 
of the two exclusive exceptions prescribed by § 8-607 of the Delaware Uniform 
Parentage Act (“UPA”)1 and that no other provisions of the UPA provided 
recourse.  On appeal, Hughes argues that the UPA violates the Equal Protection 
                                                 
1  
13 Del. C. §§ 8-101 et seq. 
 
2
Clause of the United States Constitution by creating two statutes of limitations in 
paternity actions based on a child’s legitimacy or illegitimacy and that the UPA is 
unconstitutionally overbroad because of its generalizations regarding family 
stability.   
(2) 
Hughes directly challenged the constitutionality of the UPA in his 
motion before the Family Court.  However, the Family Court judge never 
addressed his argument and never considered the constitutionality of the statute. 
(3) 
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the 
Family Court is REVERSED and REMANDED with instructions to consider the 
constitutional questions Hughes presented.  Jurisdiction is not retained.  
 
 
 
 
 
BY THE COURT: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
/s/ Myron T. Steele 
 
 
 
 
 
Chief Justice