Haag V Barnes

01 Haag v Barnes AUTHOR:
9 N.Y. 2d 554 (1961) NOTES:

TOPIC: Modern Approaches
PONENTE: Fuld
CASE LAW/ DOCTRINE: The more modern view is that "the courts, instead of regarding as
conclusive the parties' intention or the place of making or performance, lay emphasis rather
upon the law of the place `which has the most significant contacts with the matter in dispute'".
Emergency Recitation: Haag met Barnes in New York while Barnes was in a business trip.
They became friends since Barnes hired Haag as a law secretary. Eventually, Haag became
pregnant. As a result, they had an agreement executed in Illinois, since Illinois was the
principal place of work of Barnes, wherein it provided the terms of support, that Haag releases
Barnes from any action, and that their agreement will be govern by the laws of Illinois.
Eventually, Haag instituted a complaint in New York for the alleged violation of Sec. 64 of the
New York City Criminal Courts Act. In dismissing the complaint and ruling in favor of Barnes,
the court said that the Illinois laws would apply since it has the most significant contacts with
the matter in dispute because: (1) both parties are designated as being of Chicago, Illinois;
(2) the child was born in Illinois; (3) the agents to act in behalf of the parties are all Illinois
residents; and (4) support were always made from Chicago, Illinois.
FACTS:
The complainant Dorothy Haag alleges that in 1947 she moved from Minnesota and took
up residence in New York City and that since then she has been a resident of New York.
The defendant Norman Barnes, on the other hand, is a resident of Illinois.
According to the statements contained in the complainant's affidavits:
o She met Barnes in the spring of 1954 in New York.
o She was a law secretary and had been hired by Barnes to work for him while he was
in New York.
o The relationship between them "ripened into friendship" and, on the basis of
representations that he loved her and planned to divorce his wife and marry her, she
was "importuned" into having sexual relations with him.
o That she became pregnant and that, upon being informed of this, Barnes asked her
to move to Illinois to be near him.
o She refused and, instead, went to live in California with her sister to await the birth
of her child. Fearing that Barnes was losing interest in her, she returned to Chicago
before the child was born and, upon attempting to communicate with Barnes, she
was referred to his attorney. The attorney told Haag to choose a hospital in Chicago,
which she did, and the baby was born there with Barnes paying the expenses.
Shortly after the birth of the child, Haag attempts to see Barnes in New York failed and she
was advised by Barnes attorney to return to Chicago in order that an agreement might be
made for the support of her and her child.
Returning to that city, Haag procured an attorney and signed an agreement which provides:
o For the childs support;
o That Haag releases Barnes from all manner of actions; and
o That their agreement "shall in all respects be interpreted, construed and governed by
the laws of the State of Illinois".
Shortly after the agreement was signed, Haag lived in California for 2 years. She then
returned to New York where she and her child have ever since been supported by Barnes in
full compliance with the terms of the agreement. In fact, Barnes has provided sums in
excess of their agreement.
The present proceeding was instituted in 1959 and Barnes was thereafter arrested pursuant
to section 64 of the New York City Criminal Courts Act.
A motion, made by Barnes, to dismiss the proceeding was granted by the Court of Special
Sessions and the resulting order was affirmed by the Appellate Division.
o The ground urged for dismissal was that the parties had entered into an agreement
providing for the support of the child which has been fully performed;
o That in this agreement the Haag relinquished the right to bring any action for the
support of the child; and
o That, in any event, the action is precluded by the laws of the State of Illinois which,
the parties expressly agreed, would govern their rights under the agreement.
In opposition, Haag contended:
o That New York, not Illinois, law applies;
o That the agreement in question is not a sufficient basis for a motion to dismiss under
either section 63 of the New York City Criminal Courts Act or section 121 of the
Domestic Relations Law, since both of these provisions provide that "An agreement
or compromise made by the mother * * * shall be binding only when the court shall
have determined that adequate provision has been made"; and
o That, even were the Illinois law to apply, it does not bar the present proceeding.
ISSUE(S): Whether the law of New York or of Illinois applies
HELD: The law of Illinois applies. The motion to dismiss was properly granted.
RATIO:
Haag may not upset a support agreement which is itself perfectly consistent with the public
policy of New York, which was entered into in Illinois with the understanding that it would be
governed by the laws of Illinois and which constitutes a bar to a suit for further support
under Illinois law.
The traditional view was that the law governing a contract is to be determined by the
intention of the parties. However, The more modern view is that "the courts, instead of
regarding as conclusive the parties' intention or the place of making or performance, lay
emphasis rather upon the law of the place `which has the most significant contacts with the
matter in dispute'". Whichever of these views one applies in this case, however, the answer
is the same, namely, that Illinois law applies.
The agreement, in so many words, recites that it "shall in all respects be interpreted,
construed and governed by the laws of the State of Illinois" and, since it was also drawn and
signed by Haag in Illinois, the traditional conflicts rule would, without doubt, treat these
factors as conclusive and result in applying Illinois law.
But, even if the parties' intention and the place of the making of the contract are not given
decisive effect, they are nevertheless to be given heavy weight in determining which
jurisdiction "`has the most significant contacts with the matter in dispute'".
And, when these important factors are taken together with other of the "significant
contacts" in the case, they likewise point to Illinois law. Among these other Illinois contacts
are the following:
o both parties are designated in the agreement as being "of Chicago, Illinois", and
Barnes place of business is and always has been in Illinois;
o the child was born in Illinois;
o the persons designated to act as agents for the principals (except for a third
alternate) are Illinois residents, as are the attorneys for both parties who drew the
agreement; and
o all contributions for support always have been, and still are being, made from
Chicago.
Contrasted with these Illinois contacts, the New York contacts are of far less weight and
significance. Chief among these is the fact that child and mother presently live in New York and
that part of the "liaison" took place in New York.
DISSENTING/CONCURRING OPINION(S):

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01 Haag v Barnes AUTHOR:

9 N.Y. 2d 554 (1961) NOTES:

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