§ 11-1101 — Jurisdiction of the Family Court.

(a) The Family Court of the District of Columbia shall be assigned and have original jurisdiction over —

(1) actions for divorce from the bond of marriage and legal separation from bed and board, including proceedings incidental thereto for alimony, pendente lite and permanent, and for support and custody of minor children;

(2) applications for revocation of divorce from bed and board;

(3) actions to enforce support of any person as required by law;

(4) actions seeking custody of minor children, including petitions for writs of habeas corpus;

(5) actions to declare marriages void;

(6) actions to declare marriages valid;

(7) actions for annulments of marriage;

(8) determinations and adjudications of property rights, both real and personal, in any action referred to in this section, irrespective of any jurisdictional limitation imposed on the Superior Court;

(9) proceedings in adoption;

(10) proceedings under the Act of July 10, 1957 (D.C. Code, secs. 30-301 to 30-324 [D.C. Official Code, §§ 46-701 to 46-724 )];

(11) proceedings to determine paternity of any child born out of wedlock;

(12) civil proceedings for protection involving intrafamily offenses, instituted pursuant to chapter 10 of title 16 ;

(13) proceedings in which a child, as defined in § 16-2301 , is alleged to be delinquent, neglected, or in need of supervision;

(14) proceedings under chapter 5 of title 21 relating to the commitment of the mentally ill;

(15) proceedings under chapter 13 of title 7 relating to the commitment of the at least moderately mentally retarded; and

(16) proceedings under Interstate Compact on Juveniles (described in title IV of the District of Columbia Court Reform and Criminal Procedure Act of 1970).

(1) In this chapter, the term “action or proceeding” with respect to the Family Court refers to cause of action described in paragraphs (1) through (16) of subsection (a).

(2) An action or proceeding may be assigned to or retained by cross-jurisdictional units established by the Superior Court, including the Domestic Violence Unit.

Legislative History

July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 488, Pub. L. 91-358, title I, § 111; Dec. 7, 1970, 84 Stat. 1390, Pub. L. 91-530, § 2(a)(2), (3); Jan. 8, 2002, 115 Stat. 2108, Pub. L. 107-114, § 4(a)