20-5-301 through 20-5-303.

20-5-301 through 20-5-303.

(c) If a court dismisses a petition or stays a proceeding because it declines to exercise its jurisdiction pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, it shall assess against the party seeking to invoke its jurisdiction necessary and reasonable expenses including costs, communication expenses, attorney fees, investigative fees, expenses for witnesses, travel expenses and child care during the course of the proceedings, unless the party from whom fees are sought establishes that the assessment would be clearly inappropriate. The court may not assess fees, costs or expenses against this state unless authorized by law other than this act.

20-5-309. Information to be submitted to the court.

(a) Subject to a confidentiality order entered pursuant to W.S. 35-21-112 or any other court order allowing a party to maintain confidentiality of addresses or other identifying information or other law providing for the confidentiality of procedures, addresses and other identifying information, in a child custody proceeding each party in its first pleading or in an attached affidavit shall give information, if reasonably ascertainable, under oath as to the child's present address or whereabouts, the places where the child has lived during the last five (5) years and the names and present addresses of the persons with whom the child has lived during that period. The pleading or affidavit shall state whether the party:

(i) Has participated, as a party or witness or in any other capacity, in any other proceeding concerning the custody of or visitation with the child, and if so, the pleading or affidavit shall identify the court, the case number and the date of the child custody determination, if any;

(ii) Knows of any proceeding that could affect the current proceeding, including proceedings for enforcement and proceedings relating to domestic violence, protective orders, termination of parental rights and adoptions, and if so, the pleading or affidavit shall identify the court, the case number and the nature of the proceeding; and

(iii) Knows the names and addresses of any person not a party to the proceeding who has physical custody of the child or claims rights of legal custody or physical custody of, or visitation with, the child, and if so, the pleading or affidavit shall list the names and addresses of those persons.

(b) If the information required by subsection (a) of this section is not furnished, the court, upon motion of a party or its own motion, may stay the proceeding until the information is furnished.

(c) If the declaration as to any of the items described in paragraphs (a)(i) through (iii) of this section is in the affirmative, the declarant shall give additional information under oath as required by the court. The court may examine the parties under oath as to details of the information furnished and other matters pertinent to the court's jurisdiction and the disposition of the case.

(d) Each party has a continuing duty to inform the court of any proceeding in this or any other state that could affect the current proceeding.

(e) If a party alleges in an affidavit or a pleading under oath that the health, safety, or liberty of a party or child would be jeopardized by disclosure of identifying information, the information shall be sealed and may not be disclosed to the other party or the public unless the court orders the disclosure to be made after a hearing in which the court takes into consideration the health, safety or liberty of the party or child and determines that the disclosure is in the interest of justice.

20-5-310. Appearance of parties and child.

(a) In a child custody proceeding in this state, the court may order a party to the proceeding who is in this state to appear before the court in person with or without the child. The court may order any person who is in this state and who has physical custody or control of the child to appear in person with the child.

(b) If a party to a child custody proceeding whose presence is desired by the court is outside this state, the court may order that a notice given pursuant to W.S. 20-5-208 include a statement directing the party to appear in person with or without the child and informing the party that failure to appear may result in a decision adverse to the party.  (c) The court may enter any orders necessary to ensure the safety of the child and of any person ordered to appear under this section.

(d) If a party to a child custody proceeding who is outside this state is directed to appear under subsection (b) of this section or desires to appear personally before the court with or without the child, the court may require another party to pay reasonable and necessary travel and other expenses of the party so appearing and of the child.

ARTICLE 4 - ENFORCEMENT

20-5-401. Definitions.

(a) As used in this article:

(i) "Petitioner" means a person who seeks enforcement of an order for return of a child under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or enforcement of a child custody determination;

(ii) "Respondent" means a person against whom a proceeding has been commenced for enforcement of an order for return of a child under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or enforcement of a child custody determination.

20-5-402. Enforcement under the Hague Convention.

Under this article, a court of this state may enforce an order for the return of the child made under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction as if it were a child custody determination.

20-5-403. Duty to enforce.

(a) A court of this state shall recognize and enforce a child custody determination of a court of another state if the latter court exercised jurisdiction in substantial conformity with this act or the determination was made under factual circumstances meeting the jurisdictional standards of this act and the determination has not been modified in accordance with this act.

(b) A court of this state may utilize any remedy available under other law of this state to enforce a child custody determination made by a court of another state. The remedies provided in this article are cumulative and do not affect the availability of other remedies to enforce a child custody determination.

20-5-404. Temporary visitation.

(a) A court of this state which does not have jurisdiction to modify a child custody determination may issue a temporary order enforcing:

(i) A visitation schedule made by a court of another state; or

(ii) The visitation provisions of a child custody determination of another state that does not provide for a specific visitation schedule.

(b) If a court of this state makes an order under paragraph (a)(ii) of this section, it shall specify in the order a period that it considers adequate to allow the petitioner to obtain an order from a court having jurisdiction under the criteria specified in article 3 of this act. The order remains in effect until an order is obtained from the other court or the period expires.

20-5-405. Registration of child custody determination.

(a) A child custody determination issued by a court of another state may be registered in this state, with or without a simultaneous request for enforcement, by sending to the appropriate court in this state:

(i) A letter or other document requesting registration;

(ii) Two (2) copies, including one (1) certified copy, of the determination sought to be registered, and a statement under penalty of perjury that to the best of the knowledge and belief of the person seeking registration the order has not been modified; and

(iii) Except as otherwise provided in W.S. 20-5-309, the name and address of the person seeking registration and any parent or person acting as a parent who has been awarded custody or visitation in the child custody determination sought to be registered.  (b) On receipt of the documents required by subsection (a) of this section, the registering court shall:

(i) Cause the determination to be filed as a foreign judgment, together with one (1) copy of any accompanying documents and information, regardless of their form; and

(ii) Serve notice upon the persons named pursuant to paragraph (a)(iii) of this section and provide them with an opportunity to contest the registration in accordance with this section.

(c) The notice required by paragraph (b)(ii) of this section shall state that:

(i) A registered determination is enforceable as of the date of the registration in the same manner as a determination issued by a court of this state;

(ii) A hearing to contest the validity of the registered determination must be requested within twenty (20) days after service of notice; and

(iii) Failure to contest the registration will result in confirmation of the child custody determination and preclude further contest of that determination with respect to any matter that could have been asserted.

(d) A person seeking to contest the validity of a registered order shall request a hearing within twenty (20) days after service of the notice. At that hearing, the court shall confirm the registered order unless the person contesting registration establishes that:

(i) The issuing court did not have jurisdiction under a provision of law from that state that is in substantial conformity with article 3 of this act;

(ii) The child custody determination sought to be registered has been vacated, stayed or modified by a court having jurisdiction to do so under a provision of law from that state that is in substantial conformity with article 3 of this act; or

(iii) The person contesting registration was entitled to notice, but notice was not given in accordance with standards under a provision of law from that state in substantial conformity with W.S. 20-5-208, in the proceedings before the court that issued the order for which registration is sought.

(e) If a timely request for a hearing to contest the validity of the registration is not made, the registration is confirmed as a matter of law and the person requesting registration and all persons served shall be notified of the confirmation.

(f) Confirmation of a registered order, whether by operation of law or after notice and hearing, precludes further contest of the order with respect to any matter that could have been asserted at the time of registration.

20-5-406. Enforcement of registered determination.

(a) A court of this state may grant any relief normally available under the law of this state to enforce a registered child custody determination made by a court of another state.

(b) A court of this state shall recognize and enforce, but shall not modify except in accordance with article 3 of this act, a registered child custody determination of a court of another state.

20-5-407. Simultaneous proceedings.

If a proceeding for enforcement under this article is commenced in a court of this state and the court determines that a proceeding to modify the determination is pending in a court of another state having jurisdiction to modify the determination under a provision of law from that state that is in substantial conformity with article 3 of this act, the enforcing court shall immediately communicate with the modifying court. The proceeding for enforcement shall continue unless the enforcing court, after consultation with the modifying court, stays or dismisses the proceeding.

20-5-408. Expedited enforcement of child custody determination.

(a) A petition under this article in which the petitioner is seeking expedited enforcement shall be verified. Certified copies of all orders sought to be enforced and of any order confirming registration shall be attached to the petition. A copy of a certified copy of an order may be attached instead of the original.

(b) A petition for enforcement of a child custody determination shall state:

(i) Whether the court that issued the determination identified the jurisdictional basis it relied upon in exercising jurisdiction and, if so, what the basis was;

(ii) Whether the determination for which enforcement is sought has been vacated, stayed or modified by a court whose decision is enforceable under this act and, if so, the identity of the court, the case number and the nature of the proceeding;

(iii) Whether any proceeding has been commenced that could affect the current proceeding, including proceedings relating to domestic violence, protective orders, termination of parental rights and adoptions and, if so, the identity of the court, the case number and the nature of the proceeding;

(iv) The present physical address of the child and the respondent, if known;

(v) Whether relief in addition to the immediate physical custody of the child and attorney fees is sought, including a request for assistance from law enforcement officials and, if so, the relief sought; and

(vi) If the child custody determination has been registered and confirmed under W.S. 20-5-405, the date and place of registration.

(c) Upon the filing of a petition, the court shall issue an order directing the respondent to appear in person with or without the child at a hearing and may enter any order necessary to ensure the safety of the parties and the child. The hearing shall be held on the next judicial day after service of the order unless that date is impossible. In the event that the next judicial day after service of the order is impossible, the court shall hold the hearing on the first judicial day possible. The court may extend the date of hearing at the request of the petitioner.

(d) An order issued under subsection (c) of this section shall state the time and place of the hearing and advise the respondent that at the hearing the court will order that the petitioner may take immediate physical custody of the child and the payment of fees, costs and expenses under W.S. 20-5-412, and may schedule a hearing to determine whether further relief is appropriate, unless the respondent appears and establishes either that:

(i) The child custody determination has not been registered and confirmed under W.S. 20-5-405 and that:

(A) The issuing court did not have jurisdiction under a provision of law from that state that is in substantial conformity with article 3 of this act;

(B) The child custody determination for which enforcement is sought has been vacated, stayed or modified by a court having jurisdiction to do so under a provision of law from that state that is in substantial conformity with article 3 of this act; or

(C) The respondent was entitled to notice, but notice was not given in accordance with the standards under a provision of law from that state that is in substantial conformity with W.S. 20-5-208, in the proceedings before the court that issued the order for which enforcement is sought.

(ii) The child custody determination for which enforcement is sought was registered and confirmed under a provision of law from that state that is in substantial conformity with W.S. 20-5-404, but has been vacated, stayed or modified by a court of a state having jurisdiction to do so under a provision of law from that state that is in substantial conformity with article 3 of this act.

20-5-409. Service of petition and order.

Except as provided in W.S. 20-5-411, the petition and order shall be served by any method authorized by the law of this state upon the respondent and any person who has physical custody of the child.

20-5-410. Hearing and order.

(a) Unless the court issues a temporary emergency order pursuant to W.S. 20-5-304, upon a finding that a petitioner is entitled to immediate physical custody of the child, the court shall order that the petitioner may take immediate physical custody of the child unless the respondent establishes either that:

(i) The child custody determination for which enforcement is sought was registered and confirmed under W.S.