Lynch v. Lynch
Annotate this CaseHusband initiated divorce proceedings from Wife in Sweden. Wife objected to the proceedings, asserting that the Swedish court did not have personal jurisdiction over her. The Swedish court subsequently stayed the action for a six-month “reconsideration period.” While the Swedish action was in the reconsideration period, Wife initiated a divorce action in Maine. Husband moved to dismiss the complaint for forum non conveniens. The district court denied Husband’s motion. Thereafter, the Swedish court entered a divorce judgment dissolving the parties’ marriage. The Maine court then dismissed Wife’s complaint on the grounds that the Swedish judgment was a complete bar to Wife’s divorce action. The Supreme Judicial Court (1) affirmed the Maine court’s judgment to the extent it dismissed the portion of Wife’s complaint seeking dissolution of her marriage; but (2) vacated the judgment insofar as it dismissed Wife’s remaining claims for spousal support, division of marital property, and reasonable attorney fees, holding that it was premature for the district court to address these issues where the Swedish court had yet to address them.
Court Description: Corrected July 25, 2017 (Errata sheet)
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