Pam Domicile
Pam was born and grew up in Pennsylvania. She went away to college in Massachusetts (her parents paid her tuition), but she always returned home to work in the summers. During her senior year, her parents moved to Virginia, and she lived there between college and law school. She is now a law student in Texas. She really likes it there and has decided to take the Texas bar exam and look for a job there after graduation. Discuss where is Pam domiciled and why.
Answer:
Pam’s domicile is determined by her intent to make a particular place her permanent home, where she has the intention to remain indefinitely and to which she has the closest ties. In Pam’s case, her domicile can be analyzed based on various factors:
- Place of Birth and Upbringing: Pam was born and grew up in Pennsylvania. While the place of birth is not necessarily determinative of domicile, it is a factor that can be considered, especially if Pam has maintained ties to Pennsylvania throughout her life.
- College Attendance: Pam attended college in Massachusetts, where her parents paid her tuition. However, attending college in Massachusetts does not necessarily establish domicile there, especially if Pam always returned home to Pennsylvania to work during the summers.
- Parental Move to Virginia: Pam’s parents moved to Virginia during her senior year of college. While Pam lived with her parents in Virginia between college and law school, this move alone may not establish Virginia as her domicile if Pam did not have the intent to remain there permanently.
- Law School in Texas: Pam is currently a law student in Texas and has decided to take the Texas bar exam and look for a job there after graduation. This demonstrates Pam’s intent to establish domicile in Texas, as she is actively taking steps to integrate herself into the Texas community and pursue professional opportunities there.
Based on these factors, it appears that Pam’s domicile is Texas. While she may have ties to Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Virginia, her current actions and intentions suggest that she has chosen Texas as her permanent home. Pam’s decision to attend law school in Texas, take the Texas bar exam, and seek employment there after graduation indicate a clear intent to establish domicile in Texas. Therefore, Texas is Pam’s domicile because it is where she intends to reside permanently and has the closest ties.
