Opinion ID: 2552701
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Continuing Jurisdiction to Enforce Support Order

Text: Although Moss is seeking relief concerning custody and visitation of the child, to some extent he also has asked to have the monetary aspects of the order enforced; and he has asked the Family Court to hold Jacalyn in contempt allegedly for failing to adhere to its provisions. Although defendant's motions seek instructions, he has asked the Family Court to order Jacalyn to reimburse him for health insurance costs and soccer expenses and to sanction her for her alleged failure to comply with the order. Whether Rhode Island has the authority to enforce any aspect of the support order is governed by § 15-23.1-206, entitled, Continuing jurisdiction to enforce child support order[,] which provides: (a) A tribunal of this state that has issued a child-support order consistent with the law of this state may serve as an initiating tribunal to request a tribunal of another state to enforce: (1) The order, if the order is the controlling order, and has not been modified by a tribunal of another state that assumed jurisdiction pursuant to the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act; or (2) A money judgment for arrears of support and interest on the order accrued before a determination that an order of another state is the controlling order. (b) A tribunal of this state having continuing jurisdiction over a support order may act as a responding tribunal to enforce the order. To determine the question of continuing jurisdiction to enforce the support order, we return to § 15-23.1-202, which governs the duration of personal jurisdiction over child-support matters. Section 15-23.1-202 states: Personal jurisdiction acquired by a tribunal of this state in a proceeding under this chapter or other law of this state relating to a support order continues as long as a tribunal of this state has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify its order or continuing jurisdiction to enforce its order   . (Emphasis added.) We emphasize that, to modify an order, the state is required to have continuing, exclusive jurisdiction, as contrasted with enforcing an order, which merely requires continuing jurisdiction. This distinction is explained in an NCCUSL Model UIFSA Comment to Art. 2, § 206: A keystone of UIFSA is that the power to enforce the order of the issuing tribunal is not `exclusive' with that tribunal. Rather, on request one or more responding tribunals may also exercise authority to enforce the order of the issuing tribunal. Secondly, under the one-order-at-a-time system, the validity and enforceability of the controlling order continues unabated until it is fully complied with, unless it is replaced by a modified order issued in accordance with the standards established by [UIFSA]. That is, even if the individual parties and the child no longer reside in the issuing state, the controlling order remains in effect and may be enforced by the issuing tribunal or any responding tribunal without regard to the fact that the potential for its modification and replacement exists. (Emphasis added.) Virtually all of the states that have ruled on this issue have held that when the individual parties and child(ren) no longer reside in the issuing statein this case Rhode Islandthat state nonetheless retains the authority to enforce its order. See Lattimore v. Lattimore, 991 So.2d 239, 244-45 (Ala.Civ.App.2008); Linn v. Delaware Child Support Enforcement, 736 A.2d 954, 964 (Del.1999); Douglas v. Brittlebank-Douglas, 98 Hawai`i 168, 45 P.3d 368, 374 (App.2002); Zaabel v. Konetski, 209 Ill.2d 127, 282 Ill.Dec. 748, 807 N.E.2d 372, 376 (2004); In re Marriage of Metz, 31 Kan.App.2d 623, 69 P.3d 1128, 1133 (2003); Jurado, 782 So.2d at 581; Lunceford v. Lunceford, 204 S.W.3d 699, 707 (Mo.Ct.App.2006); Youssefi v. Youssefi, 328 N.J.Super. 12, 744 A.2d 662, 669 (App.Div.2000); Commonwealth ex rel. Kenitzer v. Richter, 23 Va.App. 186, 475 S.E.2d 817, 820 (App.1996). We agree with these jurisdictions that have drawn such a distinction; however, because the authority to enforce a child-support order is permissive, Rhode Island is not required to enforce its child-support order when the remainder of the issues in the case includes custody and visitation; the order is registered in Connecticut; the minor child turns eighteen this year; and when the father really is seeking enforcement of specific aspects of the order. Because this is permissive jurisdiction, to the extent Moss has sought enforcement of the support provisions in the MSA, we vacate the judgment and remand this case to the Family Court, where the trial justice shall determine, in her discretion, whether the court will accept its permissive jurisdiction.