In Re the Marriage of Verbin

This interstate child custody dispute raises questions regarding the circumstances under which a Washington court must decline jurisdiction in favor of proceedings underway in another state, or must enforce the custody decree entered in those foreign proceedings. The factor which is unique in this case is that although the final decree of the foreign state was entered before Washington concluded its proceeding, the Washington action was commenced, with substantial involvement by both parties, well before the action in the foreign state began. Under these circumstances, with the overriding…