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<section article="gfl" article_name="Family Law" number="9.5-206" title_number="9.5" title_name="Maryland Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Jurisdiction">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Except as otherwise provided in § 9.5-204 of this subtitle, a court of this State may not exercise its jurisdiction under this subtitle if, at the time of the commencement of the proceeding, a proceeding concerning the custody of the child has been commenced in a court of another state having jurisdiction substantially in conformity with this title, unless the proceeding has been terminated or is stayed by the court of the other state because a court of this State is a more convenient forum under § 9.5-207 of this subtitle.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Except as otherwise provided in § 9.5-204 of this subtitle, a court of this State, before hearing a child custody proceeding, shall examine the court documents and other information supplied by the parties under § 9.5-209 of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If the court determines that a child custody proceeding has been commenced in a court in another state having jurisdiction substantially in accordance with this title, the court of this State shall stay its proceeding and communicate with the court of the other state.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>If the court of the state having jurisdiction substantially in accordance with this title does not determine that the court of this State is a more appropriate forum, the court of this State shall dismiss the proceeding.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In a proceeding to modify a child custody determination, a court of this State shall determine whether a proceeding to enforce the determination has been commenced in another state.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If a proceeding to enforce a child custody determination has been commenced in another state, the court may:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>stay the proceeding for modification pending the entry of an order of a court of the other state enforcing, staying, denying, or dismissing the proceeding for enforcement;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>enjoin the parties from continuing with the proceeding for enforcement; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>proceed with the modification under conditions it considers appropriate.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
