Warren v. McNair

622 So. 2d 864, 1993 La. App. LEXIS 2674, 1993 WL 290086
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 4, 1993
DocketNo. 93-C-0261
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 622 So. 2d 864 (Warren v. McNair) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Warren v. McNair, 622 So. 2d 864, 1993 La. App. LEXIS 2674, 1993 WL 290086 (La. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

BARRY, Judge.

We grant this writ application to consider the application of the Louisiana Long Arm Statute, La.R.S. 13:3201, to obtain jurisdiction over a nonresident spouse in a divorce proceeding. The original application involved Lucius Warren and Jeanne McNair, who had filed petitions for divorce in for-ma pauperis against their spouses who are out-of-state defendants. In McNair a divorce had been granted and that writ is moot.

Mr. Warren argues that his divorce has been delayed and his constitutional rights violated by the required appointment of a curator ad hoc (whom he cannot pay) to represent his wife who is living in Wilmington, North Carolina. Mr. Warren filed a motion to replace the curator and to employ the Long Arm Statute, La.R.S. 13:3201, to serve his wife. The court denied the motion and Mr. Warren filed this application. New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation filed an amicus curiae brief. The respondent, the absent defendant, represented by the Tulane Law Clinic court appointed curator ad hoc, declared no opposition to the relief sought.

The basis for jurisdiction over a person is in La.C.C.P. art. 6 or one of the statutes including the Long Arm Statute. La.C.C.P. art. 6 provides that jurisdiction must be based upon:

(1) The service of process on the defendant or on his agent for the service of process;
(2) The service of process on the attorney at law appointed by the court to defend an action or proceeding brought against an absent or incompetent defendant who is domiciled in this state; ....

The Long Arm Statute, La.R.S. 13:3201, provides in pertinent part:

A. A court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident, who acts directly or by an agent, as to a cause of action arising from any one of the following activities performed by the nonresident:
(1) Transacting any business in this state.
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(6) Non-support of a child, parent, or spouse or a former spouse domiciled in this state to whom an obligation of support is owed and with whom the nonresident formerly resided in this state.
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B. In addition to the provisions of Subsection A, a court of this state may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident on any basis consistent with the constitution of this state and of the Constitution of the United States.1

La.R.S. 13:3204 authorizes service by registered or certified mail or actual delivery by a person authorized to serve process under the law of the place where service is to be made on a defendant over whom personal jurisdiction was obtained pursuant to La.R.S. 13:3201.

The use of a state’s Long Arm Statute is justified if there are minimum contacts within the state to make it reasonable and just according to our traditional concepts of fair play and substantial justice. Burnham v. Superior Court of California, County of Marin, 495 U.S. 604, 110 S.Ct. 2105, 109 L.Ed.2d 631 (1990); International Shoe Company v. State of Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 66 S.Ct. 154, 90 L.Ed. 95 (1945); deReyes v. Marine Management and Consulting Ltd., 586 So.2d 103 (La.1991).

The Long Arm Statute is to be interpreted liberally in favor of finding jurisdiction. It is intended to extend personal jurisdiction over nonresidents to the full limits of due process under the Fourteenth Amendment. Clay v. Clay, 389 So.2d 31 (La.1979).

[866]*866Louisiana appellate courts have held that a district court which has personal jurisdiction in a divorce proceeding (and awards custody and child support) retains jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant if the award is modified. That defendant may be served pursuant to the Long Arm Statute. Holden v. Holden, 374 So.2d 749 (La.App. 3rd Cir.1979). Courts must consider the ancillary proceeding and the defendant’s contacts with the state of Louisiana. See also Imperial v. Hardy, 302 So.2d 5 (La.1974).

The Second Circuit has held that a court retains jurisdiction in order to enforce a community property settlement under the Long Arm Statute. Stevens v. Stevens, 476 So.2d 883 (La.App. 2d Cir.1985), writ denied, 478 So.2d 908 (La.1985). The Second Circuit has also held that a trial court’s jurisdiction continues to determine a plaintiff’s initial post-divorce alimony. La.R.S. 13:3201(f) (after 1984 amendment-Subsection A(6)) has been used when a rule for support is at issue and the defendant formerly resided in Louisiana. Stuckey v. Stuckey, 434 So.2d 513 (La.App.2d Cir.1983), writ denied, 440 So.2d 145 (La.1983).

This Court has held that a trial court could not invoke the Long Arm Statute to obtain personal jurisdiction over a husband when his former wife filed a rule for post-divorce alimony after the divorce (without a request for alimony) was rendered two years earlier. Hirsch v. Hirsch, 378 So.2d 539 (La.App. 4th Cir.1979).

There is also jurisprudence which holds that a valid judgment of alimony and/or child support requires personal jurisdiction over an absent defendant. Atkins v. Atkins, 588 So.2d 407 (La.App.2d Cir.1991).2

Traditionally, trial courts have appointed a curator ad hoc to receive service and represent an absentee defendant when a petition for divorce was filed. La.C.C.P. art. 5091 provides in pertinent part:

A. The court shall appoint an attorney at law to represent the defendant, on the petition or ex parte written motion of the plaintiff, when:
(1) It has jurisdiction over the person or property of the defendant, or over the status involved, and the defendant is:
(а) A nonresident or absentee who has not been served with process, either personally or through an agent for the service of process, and who has made no general appearance;....

The article states that the court “shall” appoint a curator to represent the defendant “on the petition or ex parte written motion of the plaintiff.” The language does not mandate the appointment of a curator (along with the required fees) when the defendant/spouse is an absentee. According to the Article and Notes under Article 5091 the court must have jurisdiction over the person or property of the defendant or over the status involved before it may appoint an attorney. An attorney may not be appointed when jurisdiction over the defendant is based on the Long Arm Statute, La.R.S. 13:3201 el seq, Ray v. South Central Bell Telephone Company, 315 So.2d 759 (La.1975). Because the court where the petition has been filed has jurisdiction over the status involved in divorce proceedings, a curator may always be appointed.

A plaintiff proceeding in forma pauperis is not required to pay a curator’s fee. La.C.C.P. art. 5181 et seq. declare the rights of indigents, but the articles do not include the appointment and payment of a curator to represent an indigent absentee spouse in a divorce proceeding. Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
622 So. 2d 864, 1993 La. App. LEXIS 2674, 1993 WL 290086, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/warren-v-mcnair-lactapp-1993.