Black-letter propositions
- 01
Home state is where the child lived with a parent for six consecutive months immediately before filing, with temporary absences counted; infants use since birth.
- 02
Home-state priority generally precedes significant-connection jurisdiction.
- 03
The issuing state keeps exclusive continuing jurisdiction until statutory connections end or all parties leave.
- 04
Another state modifies only when the issuing state loses or declines jurisdiction and the new state has authority.
- 05
Temporary emergency jurisdiction protects a present child threatened with mistreatment or abuse and coordinates with existing orders.
- 06
Registration and expedited enforcement facilitate interstate compliance.
Use this attack sequence under time
Frame the issue
Build a six-month residence timeline.
Resolve the next checkpoint
Identify first valid custody commencement.
Resolve the next checkpoint
Test exclusive continuing jurisdiction.
Resolve the next checkpoint
Distinguish initial, modification, emergency, and enforcement power.
Finish the conclusion
Address unjustifiable conduct and court communication.
Common wrong turns
- Physical presence alone is insufficient for ordinary initial jurisdiction.
- Emergency jurisdiction is temporary unless statutory conversion requirements are met.
- Subject-matter jurisdiction cannot be created by parental agreement.
Worked example
A child lived in State A for years, is taken to State B for two weeks, and a custody case begins there without emergency.
State A remains the home state; State B lacks ordinary initial jurisdiction merely because the child is present.
Practice this topic
What NCBE lists
NCBE's NextGen outline lists the UCCJEA (1997) among the acts that affect a court's jurisdiction to issue divorce decrees and custody orders, modification of custody, and enforcement of decrees. It also lists the UCCJEA under the jurisdiction of courts to terminate parental rights, along with the Indian Child Welfare Act, and notes that this overlaps with child custody jurisdiction and enforcement.
It lists awareness of a jurisdiction's power to bring child-support and custody enforcement actions.
What Cornell says
Cornell says the UCCJEA is adopted in most states and, with the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, regulates interstate custody disputes. Its child support entry lists 28 U.S.C. § 1738A, Full Faith and Credit Given to Child Custody Determinations, and the Indian Child Custody statutes at 25 U.S.C. Chapter 21 among federal materials.
The Act's own rules fix which state decides: home-state priority, significant-connection jurisdiction when there is no home state or it declines, temporary emergency jurisdiction, exclusive continuing jurisdiction for the state that made the first order, and registration and expedited enforcement of out-of-state orders.
How to use the rules
In an answer, identify which state issued the current order, where the child has lived and with whom, and which state is now asked to act, then apply the Act's rules to those facts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the controlling rule for uccjea jurisdiction and enforcement?+
UCCJEA analysis requires a residence timeline and separation of initial, continuing, modification, emergency, and enforcement jurisdiction.
How should I analyze uccjea jurisdiction and enforcement on the bar exam?+
Build a six-month residence timeline. Identify first valid custody commencement. Test exclusive continuing jurisdiction. Distinguish initial, modification, emergency, and enforcement power. Address unjustifiable conduct and court communication.
Which acts affect custody jurisdiction under NCBE's outline?+
The UCCJEA (1997) and the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act, along with the Indian Child Welfare Act, according to the outline.
Does the UCCJEA apply to terminating parental rights?+
NCBE's outline lists the UCCJEA (1997) and the Indian Child Welfare Act under the jurisdiction of courts to terminate parental rights.
How widely has the UCCJEA been adopted?+
Cornell says it has been adopted in most states, and that it regulates interstate custody disputes together with the PKPA.
What federal statute gives full faith and credit to custody orders?+
28 U.S.C. § 1738A, titled Full Faith and Credit Given to Child Custody Determinations, according to Cornell.
Which state decides custody under the UCCJEA?+
The home state: where the child lived with a parent for six consecutive months before the case began, or within six months before it if a parent still lives there.