9 CAR § 2-1401. Overview

(a) Arkansas courts may exercise jurisdiction over a putative father or a legal father who resides in another state when any of the following conditions provided in state law are met: (1) The individual is personally served with a summons within Arkansas; (2) The individual submits to the jurisdiction of this state by: (A) Entering a general appearance; or (B) Filing a responsive document having the effect of waiving any consent to personal jurisdiction; (3) The individual resided with the child in Arkansas; (4) The individual: (A) Resided in Arkansas; and (B) Provided prenatal expenses or support for the child; (5) The child resides in Arkansas because of the acts or directives of the individual; (6) The individual engaged in sexual intercourse in this state and the child may have been conceived by that act of intercourse; (7) The individual asserted parentage in the Putative Father Registry maintained in Arkansas by the Department of Health; and (8) There is any other basis consistent with the Arkansas Constitution and the United States Constitution for the exercise of personal jurisdiction. (b) The long-arm provision should be used before any other intergovernmental action when it is confirmed that the putative father lives in another state and when permitted under state law. (c) The long-arm provision applies to the establishment of paternity and/or the establishment of a support order. (d) Note. (1) The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, Arkansas Code § 9-17-101 et seq., recognizes that an intrastate case is preferable to an intergovernmental case. (2) Therefore, only pursue intergovernmental remedies when all avenues for intrastate relief have been exhausted.