Justis v. Justis

Francis E. Sweeney, Sr., J.

In this case, we must decide which state court, Ohio or North Carolina, had jurisdiction to rule on the custody dispute between the parties.

Generally, “[t]he court in which a decree of divorce is originally rendered retains continuing jurisdiction over matters relating to the custody, care, and support of the minor children of the parties.” Loetz v. Loetz (1980), 63 Ohio St.2d 1, 2, 17 O.O.3d 1, 406 N.E.2d 1093, 1094. However, a jurisdictional dispute may arise when one parent moves out of state with the children. The question then becomes which state has the…