GOURVITZ FIRM ONCE AGAIN AFTER INITIAL DENIAL, PERSISTS IN HAVING NEW JERSEY COURT ADMIT LACK OF JURISDICTION TO MODIFY ITALIAN CHILD SUPPORT ORDER

Mother who lived in Italy with her son sought to modify an Italian Consent order as to the amount of child support and contribution to college expenses because the divorce having incurred in N.J, and the father living in N.J.. The Gourvitz firm contended that Order in Italy which “modified and replaced” the earlier N.J. Judgement of Divorce deprived N.J. from Jurisdiction in accordance with the Uniform Child Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act {UCCJEA} which also applies to foreign countries. After first denying the request the Court admitted that it failed to appreciate and apply UCCJEA in this context, and ceded jurisdiction to Italy as to modification, reserving to itself only the ability to enforce the Italian Order.