Pula v. Pula-Branch
Annotate this CaseAppellant Ruby Pula, a resident of Hawaii, was the custodian of the child of Adrienne Pula-Branch, a resident of Ohio. On Pula's behalf, the Cuyahoga Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) filed a petition for child support and medical coverage against Pula-Branch under the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA). The domestic relations court issued a child-support order. The CSEA appealed, challenging the court's calculation of child-support obligations. The appellate court held that the domestic relations court had no jurisdiction to address a UIFSA support order because the lower court's jurisdiction was limited by Ohio Rev. Code Ann. 2301.03(L)(1) to matters involving divorce, dissolution of marriage, legal separation, or annulment. CSEA appealed. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the domestic relations court does have jurisdiction over an action for support brought pursuant to the UIFSA, even if the action does not arise from one of the enumerated matters in the statute.
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