Lis pendens and dependent actions
Article 20
1. Where proceedings relating to divorce, legal separation or marriage annulment between the same parties are instituted before courts of different Member States, the court second seised shall of its own motion stay its proceedings until such time as the jurisdiction of the court first seised is established. 2. Except where the jurisdiction of one of the courts is based solely on Article 15, where proceedings relating to parental responsibility relating to the same child and involving the same cause of action are instituted before courts of different Member States, the court second seised shall of its own motion stay its proceedings until such time as the jurisdiction of the court first seised is established. 3. Where the jurisdiction of the court first seised is established, the court second seised shall decline jurisdiction in favour of the court first seised. In that case, the party who instituted proceedings before the court second seised may bring those proceedings before the court first seised. 4. Where a court of a Member State on which an acceptance of jurisdiction as referred to in Article 10 confers exclusive jurisdiction is seised, any court of another Member State shall stay the proceedings until such time as the court seised on the basis of the agreement or acceptance declares that it has no jurisdiction under the agreement or acceptance. 5. Where and to the extent that the court has established exclusive jurisdiction in accordance with an acceptance of jurisdiction as referred to in Article 10, any court of another Member State shall decline jurisdiction in favour of that court.