Child Custody and Parenting Plan Issues Involving More than One State
Tacoma, Washington, Family Law Attorneys for Interstate Parenting Disputes
Family law is a matter of state law. The laws governing divorce, child custody, and other family law issues vary widely from state. Because so many of our clients either currently live in other states or have significant connections in other states, the question of which state’s courts have jurisdiction in your particular family law matter becomes critical.
Contact us for more information about whether your divorce or family law matter can be properly dealt with in Washington, or whether you need an attorney in another state.
Which state’s courts have jurisdiction in my child custody or parenting dispute?
The question of which state’s courts have jurisdiction is particularly important where child custody is at issue. Washington, like most states, has adopted the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). This law provides that, generally speaking, the state whose courts have jurisdiction in a child custody dispute will be the child’s “home state,” which is defined as the state in which the child has most recently resided for a period of six continuous months or longer. Such issues are most likely to arise where the parents are already separated, and one parent lives in Washington while the other lives in another state. And, because we represent so many military members or their spouses in family law matters, the family law attorneys at Scholl Law Firm, P.S., have significant experience in the complex legal issues surrounding interstate child custody matters in cases of divorce, legal separation, and Parenting Plan and Child Support Modification.
