(1)  Except as otherwise provided in Section 78B-13-204, a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial child custody determination only if:

Terms Used In Utah Code 78B-13-201

  • Child: means an individual under 18 years of age and not married. See Utah Code 78B-13-102
  • Child custody determination: means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the legal custody, physical custody, or parent-time with respect to a child. See Utah Code 78B-13-102
  • Commencement: means the filing of the first pleading in a proceeding. See Utah Code 78B-13-102
  • Court: means an entity authorized under the law of a state to establish, enforce, or modify a child custody determination. See Utah Code 78B-13-102
  • 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.
  • Home state: means the state in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as a parent for at least six consecutive months immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding. See Utah Code 78B-13-102
  • 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.
  • Person: includes government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Utah Code 78B-13-102
  • Person acting as a parent: means a person, other than a parent, who:
(a) has physical custody of the child or has had physical custody for a period of six consecutive months, including any temporary absence, within one year immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding; and
(b) has been awarded legal custody by a court or claims a right to legal custody under the law of this state. See Utah Code 78B-13-102
  • State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Utah Code 78B-13-102
  • (a)  this state is the home state of the child on the date of the commencement of the proceeding, or was the home state of the child within six months before the commencement of the proceeding and the child is absent from this state but a parent or person acting as a parent continues to live in this state;

    (b)  a court of another state does not have jurisdiction under Subsection (1)(a), or a court of the home state of the child has declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that this state is the more appropriate forum under Section 78B-13-207 or 78B-13-208; and

    (i)  the child and the child’s parents, or the child and at least one parent or a person acting as a parent have a significant connection with this state other than mere physical presence; and

    (ii)  substantial evidence is available in this state concerning the child’s care, protection, training, and personal relationships;

    (c)  all courts having jurisdiction under Subsection (1)(a) or (b) have declined to exercise jurisdiction on the ground that a court of this state is the more appropriate forum to determine the custody of the child under Section 78B-13-207 or 78B-13-208; or

    (d)  no state would have jurisdiction under Subsection (1)(a), (b), or (c).

    (2)  Subsection (1) is the exclusive jurisdictional basis for making a child custody determination by a court of this state.

    (3)  Physical presence of, or personal jurisdiction over, a party or a child is neither necessary nor sufficient to make a child custody determination.

    Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 3, 2008 General Session