UCCJEA
What does "UCCJEA" mean in law?
The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) is a uniform state law adopted by 49 states and the District of Columbia that establishes rules for determining which state has jurisdiction to make initial and modified child custody determinations, and provides mechanisms for interstate enforcement of custody orders. The Act designates the child's home state (defined as the state where the child has lived with a parent for at least six consecutive months prior to the proceeding) as the preferred basis for jurisdiction, preventing parents from forum shopping by filing in a more favorable state. Once a state properly exercises jurisdiction under the UCCJEA, it retains exclusive continuing jurisdiction as long as the child or a parent continues to reside there, and other states must defer to and enforce its orders. The UCCJEA replaced the earlier Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA) to address ambiguities and to improve coordination between state courts in interstate custody disputes.
Definition
The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) is a uniform state law adopted by 49 states and the District of Columbia that establishes rules for determining which state has jurisdiction to make initial and modified child custody determinations, and provides mechanisms for interstate enforcement of custody orders. The Act designates the child's home state (defined as the state where the child has lived with a parent for at least six consecutive months prior to the proceeding) as the preferred basis for jurisdiction, preventing parents from forum shopping by filing in a more favorable state. Once a state properly exercises jurisdiction under the UCCJEA, it retains exclusive continuing jurisdiction as long as the child or a parent continues to reside there, and other states must defer to and enforce its orders. The UCCJEA replaced the earlier Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA) to address ambiguities and to improve coordination between state courts in interstate custody disputes.
Example
When the mother relocated with the child from Texas to Oregon, the father filed a custody modification in Texas, which the court properly retained under the UCCJEA because Texas was the child's home state at the time of the original order and the father still resided there.