Perrin v. Perrin
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
408 F.2d 107 (1969)
Nadine Perrin (plaintiff), a Swiss citizen, personally appeared before a Chihuahua, Mexico court and obtained a divorce and custody ruling against her husband Jean Jacques Perrin (defendant), whose attorney appeared and filed a consenting answer, with the Chihuahua court granting custody of their son to Jean. When Jean later took the child to the U.S. Virgin Islands for a charter business season, Nadine filed a new divorce and custody complaint in the federal district court there; Jean moved to dismiss for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, arguing the couple was already divorced under the Mexican decree, but the district court denied the motion and Jean appealed.
Whether a valid bilateral divorce decree entered by a foreign jurisdiction will be recognized in the United States as a matter of comity if it does not offend public policy.