Divorces can be contentious for many different reasons. When those disputes spill into issues of child custody, things can get downright messy – especially if one of the parties is from another country. Sometimes one of the parents may take the extreme measure of abducting his or her child and relocating to another part of the country or a different nation altogether. We at Frost & Beck, P.C., understand that the parent who is left behind is then faced with emotional turmoil and likely a long legal battle. However, according to the U.S. Department of State, there are some warning signs to look out for and steps that can be taken to try to prevent parental abduction from occurring.
Often when a parent plans on abducting a child, he or she will make preparations in advance. These can include liquidating assets, selling a home or resigning from a job. If you notice your ex engaging in these activities, it may indicate that a big life change, such as moving far away, is in the near future.
In addition, a divorcing couple may make threats toward each other that neither party actually intends to follow through on. But if one of those threats concerns taking a child, taking action right away is vital. If even the potential exists for your child to be harmed, the authorities should be notified. Reporting the threat may enable you to have the other parent’s terms of visitation altered.
The best way, perhaps, to prevent a child from being abducted by a parent is to include very specific and clear terms when negotiating a child custody order. Including a requirement that the court’s permission is needed before the child is allowed to travel, as well as setting forth the locations, times, and conditions of visitation, can go a long way toward stopping one parent from leaving the country with the child. For more information on parental abductions of children, please visit our web page.
Tags: Divorce
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