Purposes and construction of law
Sec. 1. Purposes and Construction of Law. (a) The general
purposes of this law are to:
(1) 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;
(2) 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;
(3) 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 the courts of
this state decline the exercise of jurisdiction when the child and
his family have a closer connection with another state;
(4) discourage continuing controversies over child custody in
the interest of greater stability of home environment and of
secure family relationships for the child;
(5) deter abductions and other unilateral removals of children
undertaken to obtain custody awards;
(6) avoid re-litigation of custody decisions of other states in this
state insofar as feasible;
(7) facilitate the enforcement of custody decrees of other states;
and
(8) 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.
(b) This chapter shall be construed to promote the general
purposes stated in this section.
As added by P.L.1-1997, SEC.9.
Last modified: May 24, 2006