Schaffer v. Ling

Appellant, an unwed father, timely appeals a final order dismissing his paternity action for lack of jurisdiction. He claims that the Florida courts have jurisdiction to determine paternity, support, and time sharing, simply because the child was conceived in Florida, even though the child was born in New Hampshire where she and the mother reside and have continued to reside. We reject his claim, because under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (“UCCJEA”) Florida is not the home state of the child, thus precluding Florida from exercising jurisdiction to determine…