• 11
  • April
    2011

The devastation wrought by international child abduction simply cannot be overstated. Parents whose children are suddenly taken from them must not only cope with feelings of anger, sadness and anxiety, but also undertake a potential lengthy and costly child custody battle in wholly unfamiliar settings.

Furthermore, children who are suddenly removed from their familiar surroundings by an abducting parent must contend with rather drastic separation from their families and friends. Sadly, this rather traumatic experience can sometimes result in the onset of emotional or psychological issues.

Fortunately, the U.S. Department of State has offered a few steps for parents to take in order to help prevent their children from being abducted to foreign countries.

Custody decree

According to government officials, a well-written custody decree can go a long way toward preventing international child abduction and helping retrieve your child in the event they are taken without your permission.

Here, a well-written custody decree would likely include language that expressly forbids the child from traveling to any foreign country without your permission or the permission of the governing court. (Such language is recommended even if you and your spouse execute a joint custody arrangement.)

The Department of State also recommends providing the child's school with a copy of the custody agreement and informing the relevant personnel of the people authorized to remove the child from school.

Interestingly, the American Bar Association also recommends that a parent asks the court to have the other parent post a bond if they are not a U.S. citizen or have strong connections to a foreign country. The reason? The bond acts as a check against international child abduction and provides a potentially valuable source of income in the event the child is taken to another country - travel expenses, legal fees, etc.

We will continue to explore this topic in future posts ...

If you are currently involved in a child custody/visitation rights dispute or have questions regarding international child custody, you should strongly consider speaking with an experienced legal professional.

This post is provided for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.

Stay tuned for more from our Denver divorce blog ...

Related Resources:

Guarding against international parental child abduction (U.S. Department of State)