Pauly D Wants Custody War Decided by Vegas Judge

Pauly D got famous in New Jersey, but he wants to stay as far away from The Garden State as possible when it comes to deciding who gets custody of his kid.

According to legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Pauly and his baby mama, Amanda, are in a dogfight over which state should handle their custody case.

Pauly wants Nevada to handle it, but the former Hooters waitress wants a Jersey judge to pass judgment ... and we know why.

Nevada judges are more likely to give the father custodial rights than Jersey jurists. In Nevada, there's a presumption that both parents should get joint custody. There is no such presumption in Jersey. Now as we reported, Pauly wants FULL custody, but having joint custody as a fall back is better than nothing.

There's also an issue of convenience. Pauly lives in Vegas and he doesn't want to have to make the trek to Jersey every time there's a court hearing.

Here's what's ironic: If Pauly gets his way and the case is handled in Nevada and the judge awards joint custody, he'll probably end up paying MORE child support than if the case was handled in Jersey -- that's just the way the law works. But sources tell TMZ ... he knows he'll end up paying more child support but getting custody is way more important to him.