Divorce Lawyer on Long Island

Child Abduction Cases

It is against the law to improperly remove a child from the state or the country. Parents worry their child will be abducted and they will never see them again. This can be a serious disconcerting issue for parents. Child abduction can be defined as the removal of children from the parent that has custody of the children to a location where the children are hidden. This is a very serious crime. Parental abduction sometimes is referred to as parental kidnapping.

International Child Kidnapping

It is estimated that more than 200,000 children are either abducted or wrongfully removed from their parents each and every year. The most serious concern for a parent is when a child is removed from the country. When a child is taken out of the country in violation of a custody order, you are dealing with a very serious international kidnapping incident. This sometimes takes place when one parent takes the children on a vacation to their former country and simply does not bring the children back.

The Hague Convention

There is an international treaty that America is a party to called the Hague Convention. This is an agreement that signatory countries comply with to deal with international kidnapping and international custody and visitation cases. There are many countries in the world who are signatories to the Hague Convention. Our law firm has extensive experience litigating cases involving countries who abide by the Hague Convention. Our law firm has been involved in several cases involving children kidnapped to countries that are non-signatories to the Hague Convention. China, for example, is not a party to the Hague International Convention concerning child custody.

International Child Custody Lawyer

If you have a fear that your child is going to be removed from your state or the country, you must immediately retain counsel. The children’s passport should be obtained and removed to a safe place. The Bureau of Homeland Security can be notified of a potential international child kidnapping situation. If your child has already been abducted or been removed from the jurisdiction, our law office can take the necessary legal action to either prevent the removal of your child or to have your child returned. There are legal remedies. Our law firm has dealt with a number of significant international child kidnapping cases as well as numerous cases where the child was improperly removed from the jurisdiction or the state. Call us for a free consultation.