Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 15-14.1 - Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act

• Abandoned: means left without provision for reasonable and necessary care or supervision;

  (2)  "Child" means an individual who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age;

  (3)  "Child custody determination" means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-14.1-2

• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• Child custody proceeding: means a proceeding in which legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child is an issue. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-14.1-2
• Commencement: means the filing of the first pleading in a proceeding;

  (6)  "Court" means the family court of the State of Rhode Island unless another meaning is so indicated;

  (7)  "Home state" means the state in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as a parent for at least six (6) consecutive months immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-14.1-2

• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Initial determination: means the first child custody determination concerning a particular child;

  (9)  "Issuing court" means the court that makes a child custody determination for which enforcement is sought under this chapter;

  (10)  "Issuing state" means the state in which a child custody determination is made;

  (11)  "Modification" means a child custody determination that changes, replaces, supercedes, or is otherwise made after a previous determination concerning the same child, whether or not it is made by the court that made the previous determination;

  (12)  "Person" means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity;

  (13)  "Person acting as a parent" means a person, other than a parent, who:

  (i)  Has physical custody of the child or has had physical custody for a period of six (6) consecutive months, including any temporary absence, within one year immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding; and

  (ii)  Has been awarded legal custody by a court or claims a right to legal custody under the law of this state. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-14.1-2

• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• oath: includes affirmation; the word "sworn" includes affirmed; and the word "engaged" includes either sworn or affirmed. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-11
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• Physical custody: means the physical care and supervision of a child;

  (15)  "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States;

  (16)  "Tribe" means an Indian tribe or band, or Alaskan Native village, which is recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state;

  (17)  "Warrant" means an order issued by a court authorizing law enforcement officers to take physical custody of a child. See Rhode Island General Laws 15-14.1-2

• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8