Which item is not a basis for personal jurisdiction over a defendant?

Which item is not a basis for personal jurisdiction over a defendant?

• A. Domicile
• B. Organized under laws of the state
• C. Principal place of business
• D. Support obligations

Answer: (D)

Personal jurisdiction rests on the defendant’s connections to the forum state. Domicile, being organized under the state’s laws, and the principal place of business all show the defendant has a sustained connection to that state, which allows the court to hear cases against them. Support obligations, by contrast, are about a financial duty arising from a relationship and do not by themselves establish the defendant’s purposeful contacts with the forum necessary for jurisdiction over unrelated claims. They might lead to enforcement or modification actions in a specific context, but they aren’t a general basis for personal jurisdiction over a defendant in a new suit.

Personal jurisdiction rests on the defendant’s connections to the forum state. Domicile, being organized under the state’s laws, and the principal place of business all show the defendant has a sustained connection to that state, which allows the court to hear cases against them. Support obligations, by contrast, are about a financial duty arising from a relationship and do not by themselves establish the defendant’s purposeful contacts with the forum necessary for jurisdiction over unrelated claims. They might lead to enforcement or modification actions in a specific context, but they aren’t a general basis for personal jurisdiction over a defendant in a new suit.