Legal Representation for Pasadena Interstate Child Custody Cases

Divorced or unmarried parents with custody orders often end up living far apart from one another, and the corresponding custody orders must reflect their child’s best interests. Unfortunately, disputes regarding custody arise on a consistent basis throughout the US. One of the laws in place designed to clarify custody disputes across state lines is the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). The UCCJEA essentially prevents parental kidnapping across state lines and establishes which state’s custody laws apply when a custody dispute involves multiple states. The UCCJEA generally upholds that the state where the child has lived for the past six months or the state which holds the most personal connection to the child is the child’s home state. That state’s custody laws apply in any interstate custody dispute involving a child. The UCCJEA becomes applicable whenever a parent takes their child across state lines without the permission of the child’s other parent, especially if their standing custody order prohibits out-of-state travel with the child. Unfortunately, some parents have attempted to take their children across state lines to secure new custody orders from different states. The UCCJEA has effectively ended this practice and now enforces new legal standards that apply to any custody dispute that crosses state lines.