Represented Father in Child Custody Case
Aug 16, 2019OUTCOME: Primary Custody to Father
Ms. Chunephisal represented the Father of a 12-year-old girl. The Mother and Father were divorced and lived in California. Father was given custody of the child for one school year, but the order was s ... ilent as to what would occur at the end of the school year. Mother remained in California and wanted the child to return to California. Ms. Chunephisal, representing Father, petitioned the court in Fairfax County for custody of the child during the summer. She filed a motion to obtain an expedited hearing in order to have the matter heard before the school year began. Given that the custody order was entered in California, the UCCJEA provisions affected the child because the California court had exclusive, continuing jurisdiction over the child. Working with counsel in California, Ms. Chunephisal was able to convince the California court to relinquish jurisdiction over the child to Virginia. Then, with an impending trial date, Ms. Chunephisal was able to assist Father with negotiating a final agreement before the start of the school year that gave him primary custody of the child.