Court Opinion

ID: 9851617
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:16:03.054952+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:08.698619
License: Public Domain

BENCH, Judge
(concurring):
For me, the instant case presents a very narrow question: How does a state’s continuing jurisdiction in a divorce case mesh with foreign jurisdiction under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA), 9 U.L.A. 116 (1979)? I believe the question is answered by section 14(1) of UCCJA,1 which was not mentioned by the majority but provides as follows:
If a court of another state has made a custody decree, a court of this state shall not modify that decree unless (a) it appears to the court of this state that the court which rendered the decree does not now have jurisdiction under jurisdictional prerequisites substantially in accordance with this act or has declined to assume jurisdiction to modify the decree and (b) the court of this state has jurisdiction.
The Commissioner’s note to section 14 explains the circumstances under which jurisdiction would shift:
Courts which render a custody decree normally retain continuing jurisdiction to modify the decree under local law. Courts in other states have in the past often assumed jurisdiction to modify the out-of-state decree themselves without regard to the preexisting jurisdiction of the other state. In order to achieve greater stability of custody arrangements and avoid forum shopping, subsection (a) declares that other states will defer to the continuing jurisdiction of the court of another state as long as that state has jurisdiction under the standards of this Act. In other words, all petitions for modification are to be addressed to the prior state if that state has sufficient contact with the case to satisfy section 3. The fact that the court had previously considered the case may be one factor favoring its continued jurisdiction. If, however, all the persons involved have moved away or the contact with the state has otherwise become slight, modification jurisdiction would shift elsewhere.
9 U.L.A. at 154 (citation omitted).
The Reporter for the Special Committee preparing the UCCJA was even more specific when she noted the following:
*1331A typical example is the case of the couple who are divorced in state A, their matrimonial home state, and whose children are awarded to the wife, subject to visitation rights of the husband. Wife and children move to state B, with or without permission of the court to remove the children. State A has continuing jurisdiction and the courts in state B may not hear the wife’s petition to make her the sole custodian, eliminate visitation rights, or make any other modification of the decree, even though state B has in the meantime become the “home state” under section 3. The jurisdiction of state A continues and is exclusive as long as the husband lives in state A unless he loses contact with the children, for example, by not using his visitation privileges for three years.
Bodenheimer, The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act: A Legislative Remedy for Children Caught in the Conflict of Laws, 22 Vand.L.Rev. 1207, 1237 (1969) (quoted in State ex rel. Cooper v. Hamilton, 688 S.W.2d 821, 826 (Tenn.1985)).
Under the facts of this case, Utah’s jurisdiction over custody issues was primary and Washington’s jurisdiction was secondary. The parties were divorced in Utah. Rawlings subsequently moved to Washington, taking the children with her. Weiner remained in Utah, and continually sought enforcement of his visitation rights under the Utah decree. At Rawlings’ request, Washington took emergency jurisdiction under UCCJA. On discovering that Utah had continuing jurisdiction over custody, Washington declined any further jurisdiction under section 14(1). That was precisely what should have happened under UCCJA. Because Utah had primary jurisdiction over custody of the children, I concur in affirming the judgment of the trial court.

. In Utah, Utah Code Ann. § 78-45c-14(l) (1987); in Washington, RCWA 26.27.140 (1986).