Navigating Jurisdiction in Domestic Litigation Cases Today
Hi, my name is Heath Davis, and I wanted to address an issue that we commonly see involved in a domestic litigation case, whether it be a divorce or a paternity action, and that is jurisdiction. And what does that mean?
In today’s society, it’s not uncommon for people to move throughout the country. Especially in Oklahoma, you could have one parent who lives in Oklahoma City, or who lives in Tulsa, and the other parent lives in Dallas. And so you really have to look at what court has jurisdiction and what state has jurisdiction.
Home State Jurisdiction in Paternity and Divorce Actions
A lot of times that falls with where the minor child resides. In paternity actions and divorce actions, it’s what we call home state jurisdiction. And home state is the state of residency where the minor child has resided for the past six months. This tends to give the court some establishment of what court has jurisdiction and where a petition for paternity or petition for divorce might be filed.
Likewise, if one or both parents live within the same state, basically, the residency requirement is established by both parties or one party living in that state for a period of six months, and the county for a period of 30 days prior to any filing with the court system.
Book Your Initial Strategy Session Today
If you are facing a domestic litigation case in Tulsa and need guidance on jurisdiction or any other legal matter, please contact Wirth Law Office – Tulsa at 918-879-1681 to schedule a low-cost initial strategy session with our experienced legal team.
