Here is a sample order: Order of Confirmation to Register a Foreign Order

Here is one court’s granted order.

Q: What is the UCCJEA?

A: After separation, some parents move out-of-state. To enable states to work together to enforce custody and visitation orders, states have adopted the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction And Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). (The UCCJEA deals with interstate custody and visitation; to deal with interstate child support issues, see UIFSA.)

Q: What is the purpose of the UCCJEA?

A: The UCCJEA helps to eliminate interstate competition over custody disputes, helps to eliminate forum shopping, and helps to address the problem of child snatching (“the abduction and/or concealment of a child without the consent of the other parent”).

Q: How do states cooperate?

A: Take the example of Jack Doe and Jill Doe. The couple marries and has one child together. Later, the Doe’s divorce in Texas, giving Texas home state jurisdiction. (The home state is the state in which the child lived with his parent or parents for at least six months prior to the commencement of the proceeding. Determining the home state is important because the home state will typically have exclusive, continuing jurisdiction over the custody and visitation orders.)

Jack remains in the home state of Texas, but Jill and the child move to Georgia. Because Texas retains exclusive, continuing jurisdiction, only Texas can modify custody and visitation orders. Georgia, on the other hand, will have the role of enforcing Texas’ orders.

Jack and Jill agreed in their Texas divorce decree that they would alternate primary physical custody of their child every other year. Jill moved to Georgia with the child during her year of custody. At the end of Jill’s custodial year she refused to return the child to Jack in Texas.

Q: How do you begin the process of enforcing the Texas order in another state where the child resides?

A: Look at Chapter 152 of the Texas Family Code.

A: You must send two copies, including one certified copy of the last Texas court order to the appropriate county court in the foreign state.

A: You must draft and submit a statment under penalty of perjury that to the best of your knowledge and belief that the court order submitted has not been modified.

A: You will need to contact the foriegn state’s clerk’s office and find out the cost of filing and serving the request for registration.

A: If Jill fails to contest the validity of the the order sought to be registered you will need to submit an order of confirmation.

A: Here is a sample order: Order of Confirmation to Register a Foreign Order

A: Here is one court’s granted order.