(a) A party to a child custody proceeding, including a modification proceeding or a petitioner or respondent in a proceeding to enforce or register a child custody determination is not subject to personal jurisdiction in this State for another proceeding or purpose solely by reason of having participated or of having been physically present for the purpose of participating in the proceeding.

Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1909

  • Child: means an individual who has not attained 18 years of age. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1902
  • Child custody determination: means a judgment, decree or other order of a court providing for the legal custody, physical custody or visitation with respect to a child. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1902
  • 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.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Modification: means a child custody determination that changes, replaces, supersedes or is otherwise made after a previous determination concerning the same child, whether or not it is made by the court that made the previous determination. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1902
  • Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency or instrumentality, public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1902
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • State: means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United State Virgin Islands or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Delaware Code Title 13 Sec. 1902

(b) A person who is subject to personal jurisdiction in this State on a basis other than physical presence is not immune from service of process in this State. A party present in this State who is subject to the jurisdiction of another state is not immune from service of process allowable under the laws of that state.

(c) The immunity granted by subsection (a) of this section does not extend to civil litigation based on acts unrelated to the participation in a proceeding under this chapter committed by an individual while present in this State.

73 Del. Laws, c. 426, § ?1;