Pkpa - sustany/dvg GitHub Wiki

The�Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act�of 1980 (PKPA) establishes national standards to determine�jurisdiction�in interstate custody disputes.�PKPA�does not impose a duty on the states to exercise jurisdiction over any�child custody�issues, but when a state wishes to exercise jurisdiction over a determination entered by a court of a sister state, the�PKPA�governs which states can exercise jurisdiction and when. If the state custody�statute�conflicts with�PKPA, the federal�statute�controls.�

Courts need to comply with the�jurisdictional�provisions under�PKPA�when giving the decrees from sister states�full faith and credit. For example, in�Williams v. Williams, the�Supreme Court�of North Carolina held that an original Indiana custody�decree�was not entitled to full faith and credit in North Carolina, because the court could not have exercised jurisdiction to determine custody of one child who had never lived outside of North Carolina, or custody of another child without determining that it had�subject matter jurisdiction.

See also:�child custody,�the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act�(UCCJA).