Court Opinion

ID: 9739214
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:10:42.838006+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:10.739129
License: Public Domain

VANDE WALLE, Justice,
concurring specially.
I write separately to note that we do not decide in this case whether child-custody actions are in rem proceedings or in person-am proceedings. Child custody was not an issue in Smith v. Smith, 459 N.W.2d 785 (N.D.1990), although we reversed the North Dakota court-ordered payment of child support because there was no in per-sonam jurisdiction of the mother or the child in that case. In Smith we did, however, refer to decisions from other jurisdictions which hold that in personam jurisdiction of a non-resident spouse is necessary in order to validly adjudicate rights to child custody. See In re Marriage of Passiales, 144 Ill.App.3d 629, 98 Ill.Dec. 419, 494 N.E.2d 541 (1986); Simpson v. O’Donnell, 98 Nev. 516, 654 P.2d 1020 (1982).
These decisions do not discuss the UCCJA and are not cited in footnote 6 of the majority opinion. Presumably, however, they are predicated on a constitutional due-process standard rather than a statutory basis since both Illinois (Ill.Rev.Stat. ch. 40, § 2101 to 2126) and Nevada (Nev.Rev. Stat. §§ 125 A.010 to 125 A.250) have enacted the UCCJA. Therefore, there are considerations other than the UCCJA in determining the jurisdiction of the court to adjudicate the rights to child custody when a non-resident spouse and child are involved. As noted in the majority opinion, because we conclude the trial court had in personam jurisdiction of Joseph under Rule 4(b)(2) N.D.R.Civ.P., we do not decide the issue of the necessity of in personam jurisdiction over a non-resident spouse in order to award child custody.
I concur in the result reached by the majority opinion.