UNIFORM STATUTES - Uniform laws,
such as the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act,
the Uniform Pre-Marital Agreement Act, and others,
are model laws proposed by a national group of judges,
lawyers and law professors called the Uniform Law
Commissioners. The commissioners propose the laws;
states are free to enact or reject them.
Topics covered by uniform laws are often ones in
which there is much interstate activity, such as marriage,
divorce, paternity, custody and child support and
in which consistency, predictability and uniformity
are desirable. Some uniform laws have been passed
by all states (for example, the Uniform Child Custody
Jurisdiction Act) whereas others have only been enacted
by a few (for instance, the Uniform Divorce Recognition
Act). Clearly, the central goal of uniformity is well
served only if a significant number of states enact
a given uniform law.
