Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction in divorce and custody cases is another extremely complicated area of domestic relations law. A court must have jurisdiction over the people involved in a case and/or the subject matter of the case before hearing issues relevant to the parties. In our practice, we handle issues regarding jurisdiction over active duty military personnel, and jurisdiction disputes between parties residing in different states. Interstate custody jurisdiction is governed by the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act and the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. These are laws which outline a detailed process to follow in cases where there is a custody dispute between parties residing in different states. The policy behind the law is to determine the most appropriate forum for jurisdiction, so that a parent is not able to remove a child from his home in a manner that is against the child's best interest to gain an advantage in a custody dispute. Child support jurisdiction is governed by the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, as codified under Virginia law, which provides a mechanism for states to ensure that children receive support regardless of where their parents may reside. There are other jurisdictional issues which arise in domestic relations cases, including jurisdiction over military personnel and their pensions and jurisdiction in contempt cases.

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ALEXANDRIA OFFICE
Phone: 703-683-6300
Fax: 703-683-0237
3135 Mount Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22305-2665
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LEESBURG OFFICE
Phone: 703-858-9470
Fax: 703-858-9649
19441 Golf Vista Plaza Suite 220
Leesburg, Virginia 20176
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