The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA) was drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and it was approved and recommended for enactment in all states at it is annual conference meeting in Pennsyvlaina in 1968. It was subsequently approved by the American Bar Association at its Meeting at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania August 7, 1968.
The UCCJA and the subsequent Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) were largely accepted by the Colorado legislature as being good model laws for legal actions involving children in Colorado is codified in Colorado Revised Statutes as C.R.S. 14-13-101, et .seq. The UCCJEA in Colorado provides rules and guidelines for dealing with interstate custody cases.
The general purposes of this UCCJA was to:
- avoid jurisdictional competition and conflict with courts of other states in matters of child custody which have in the past resulted in the shifting of children from state to state with harmful effects on their well-being;
- promote cooperation with the courts of other states to the end that a custody decree is rendered in that state which can best decide the case in the interest of the child;
- assure that litigation concerning the custody of a child take place ordinarily in the state with which the child and his family have the closest connection and where significant evidence concerning his care, protection, training, and personal relationships is most readily available, and that courts of this state decline the exercise of jurisdiction when the child and his family have a closer connection with another state;
- discourage continuing controversies over child custody in the interest of greater stability of home environment and of secure family relationships for the child;
- deter abductions and other unilateral removals of children undertaken to obtain custody awards;
- avoid re-litigation of custody decisions of other states in this state insofar as feasible;
- facilitate the enforcement of custody decrees of other states;
- promote and expand the exchange of information and other forms of mutual assistance between the courts of this state and those of other states concerned with the same child; and
- make uniform the law of those states which enact it.
If you have questions about interstate custody matters in Colorado, the divorce lawyers at Folkestad Fazekas Barrick & Patoile, P.C., are available to discuss the Colorado UCCJA or UCCJEA at 303-688-3045 and our seasoned teams of legal professionals are experienced at litigating these matters and international child custody matters in Colorado throughout the Denver metro area courts.
About Our Firm
At Folkestad Fazekas we have experienced teams of family law attorneys who can assist you with all facets of legal issues affecting families. Our divorce attorneys are former judges, prosecutors, or public defenders, so they know to present cases persuasively to judges.
Our areas of expertise include Child Support, Common Law Marriage, Custody and Visitation, Arbitration/Mediation, Divorce/Dissolution/Annulment, Paternity, Visitation and more.
