§ 1 Definitions
§ 2 Jurisdiction
§ 3 Affidavits; contents; amendment; examination under oath; disclosure of addresses
§ 4 Parties; joinder; service of process
§ 5 Notice and opportunity to be heard; proper parties
§ 6 Notice; nonresidents; proof of service
§ 7 Jurisdiction; determination of appropriate forum; factors
§ 8 Personal appearance before court; expenses
§ 9 Testimony of witnesses outside state
§ 10 Foreign courts; evidentiary hearings; transfer of information; orders to appear within state; expenses
§ 11 Custody proceedings in foreign courts; evidentiary hearings within state; transfer of information; orders to appear in foreign court; expenses
§ 12 Custody judgment of foreign state; filing within state; enforcement of judgment within state; expenses
§ 13 Preservation of record; time; copies
§ 14 International custody determinations; recognition

Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws > Chapter 209B - Massachusetts Child Custody Jurisdiction Act

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.