Opinion ID: 1952770
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Jurisdiction over the Children

Text: The defendant next argues that the Family Court does not have jurisdiction over the children of the marriage. The defendant is again incorrect. Rhode Island has adopted the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act, G.L. 1956 chapter 14 of title 15 (UCCJA) for the avowed purpose of avoiding jurisdictional competition and conflict with courts of other states in matters of child custody. Pratt v. Pratt, 431 A.2d 405, 408 (R.I.1981). Moreover, as is the case in divorce proceedings in which courts exercise jurisdiction over the status of its citizens via quasi in rem jurisdiction, a state's power to decide a custody matter does not depend on its having personal jurisdiction over the parties, but rather depends on its ability to adjudicate matters concerning the status of its citizens through quasi in rem jurisdiction. See id. at 409. Thus, Rhode Island properly has jurisdiction in the Family Court to make a child custody determination affecting both parties to the marriage when [t]he state of Rhode Island    [i]s the home state of the child at the time of commencement of the proceeding   . Section 15-14-4(a)(1)(i). In this case, both children were living in Rhode Island with the plaintiff at the time the proceedings below began. There is no indication that they would be leaving Rhode Island absent a court order requiring plaintiff to return the children to defendant in Missouri. Rhode Island is, for all intents and purposes, their home state. Therefore, the motion justice correctly decided that Rhode Island could exercise jurisdiction over the custody matter concerning the two children.