Kreiger v. Kreiger

Decision Date07 June 1948
Docket NumberNo. 371,371
Citation68 S.Ct. 1221,334 U.S. 555,92 L.Ed. 1572
PartiesKREIGER v. KREIGER
CourtU.S. Supreme Court

Mr. James G. Purdy, of New York City, for petitioner.

Mr. Charles Rothenberg, of New York City, for respondent.

Mr. Justice DOUGLAS delivered the opinion of the Court.

This is a companion case to Estin v. Estin, 334 U.S. 541, 68 S.Ct. 1213, also here on certiorari to the Court of Appeals of New York.

The parties were married in New York in 1933 and lived together until their separation in 1935. In 1940 respondent obtained a decree of separation in New York on grounds of abandonment. Petitioner appeared in the action; and respondent was awarded $60 a week alimony for the support of herself and their only child, whose custody she was given.

Petitioner thereafter went to Nevada where he continues to reside. He instituted divorce proceedings in that state in the fall of 1944. Constructive service was made on respondent who made no appearance in the Nevada proceedings. While they were pending, respondent obtained an order in New York purporting to enjoin petitioner from seeking a divorce and from remarrying. Petitioner was neither served with process in New York nor entered an appearance in the latter proceeding. The Nevada court, with knowledge of the injunction and the New York judgment for alimony, awarded petitioner an absolute divorce on grounds of three consecutive years of separation without cohabitation. The judgment made no provision for alimony. It did provide that petitioner was to support, maintain and educate the child, whose custody it purported to grant him, and as to which jurisdiction was reserved. Petitioner thereafter tendered $50 a month for the support of the child but ceased making payments under the New York decree.

Respondent thereupon brought suit on the New York judgment in a federal district court in Nevada. Without waiting the outcome of that litigation she obtained a judgment in New York for the amount of the arrears, petitioner appearing and unsuccessfully pleading his Nevada divorce as a defense. The judgment was affirmed by the Appellate Division, two judges dissenting. 271 App.Div. 872, 66 N.Y.S.2d 798. The Court of Appeals affirmed without opinion, but stating in its remittitur that its action was based upon Estin v. Estin, 296 N.Y. 308, 73 N.E.2d 113. Respondent does not attack the bona fides of petitioner's Nevada domicile.

For the reasons stated in Estin v. Estin, supra, we hold that Nevada had no...

To continue reading

Request your trial
47 cases
  • Stambaugh v. Stambaugh
    • United States
    • Pennsylvania Supreme Court
    • 16 Octubre 1974
    ...concern.' Estin v. Estin, 334 U.S. 541, 549, 68 S.Ct. 1213, 1218, 92 L.Ed. 1561, 1569 (1948). Accord, Kreiger v. Kreiger, 334 U.S. 555, 68 S.Ct. 1221, 92 L.Ed. 1572 (1948); Armstrong v. Armstrong, 350 U.S. 568, 76 S.Ct. 629, 100 L.Ed. 705 (1956); Vanderbilt v. Vanderbilt, 354 U.S. 416, 77 S......
  • TAMMIE JC v. ROBERT TR
    • United States
    • Wisconsin Supreme Court
    • 20 Junio 2003
    ...our answer is no. Id. at 528-29. ¶ 82. The Court noted that its prior decisions in Estin v. Estin, 334 U.S. 541 (1948), and Kreiger v. Kreiger, 334 U.S. 555 (1948), had distinguished, for purposes of jurisdictional analysis, between a decree of divorce and the extinguishment of the right to......
  • Dimon v. Dimon
    • United States
    • California Supreme Court
    • 17 Marzo 1953
    ...destroyed the former wife's right to support. Estin v. Estin, 334 U.S. 541, 549, 68 S.Ct. 1213, 92 L.Ed. 1561; Kreiger v. Kreiger, 334 U.S. 555, 557, 68 S.Ct. 1221, 92 L.Ed. 1572; Barber v. Barber, 21 How. 582, 62 U.S. 582, 16 L.Ed. 226. On the contrary, the requirement of the Williams case......
  • In re the Termination of Parental Rights to Thomas, 2003 WI 61 (Wis. 6/20/2003), 01-2787.
    • United States
    • Wisconsin Supreme Court
    • 20 Junio 2003
    ...our answer is no. Id. at 528-29. ¶ 82 The Court noted that its prior decisions in Estin v. Estin, 334 U.S. 541 (1948), and Kreiger v. Kreiger, 334 U.S. 555 (1948), had distinguished, for purposes of jurisdictional analysis, between a decree of divorce and the extinguishment of the right to ......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT