- The main goal of this act is to significantly decrease the number of interstate parental kidnappings and establish uniformity in laws pertaining to parental kidnapping and child custody issues.
- This act clearly defines a state's jurisdiction in child custody cases and allows for enforcement of valid custody and visitation orders already in place. In the past, parents could take a child to a state where there were no previous connections, and apply for and be granted a different custody arrangement.
- The Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act (PKPA), adopted in 1980, helps remedy situations that arose despite the UCCJA. This was in relation to interstate custody issues and allows recognition of other states rulings on custody.
- The UCCJA allows indigenous tribes to make full use of the law by substituting the words "the tribe" for "the state". In this case, tribal courts will always determine jurisdiction.
- According to the UCCJA, a foreign country shall be recognized as if it were a state of the United States. Custody within a country can be denied if the country is known to violate basic human rights and fundamental freedoms.
- The UCCJA and PKPA are very complicated acts with difficult language. Consult an attorney for answers to specific questions pertaining to kidnapping and custody laws.
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