What to Do When You Suspect the Other Parent Plans to Kidnap Your Child

Ask any child of divorced parents what would make them happy, and most will respond with having their parents together again. While it is fairly well known that children tend to do better in intact homes, this situation is not always tenable or in the child’s best interest if the parents are unable to maintain a healthy and functioning relationship. When a couple does decide to separate or divorce, and issues of child custody and parental responsibilities are addressed, most parents strive to make decisions that are best for their child. Unfortunately, though, not all parents are willing to discuss or compromise their positions on their children, and this unyielding attitude can easily lead to disputes. An extreme manifestation of this inflexibility is a parent who decides to ignore or directly violate a parenting plan in order to keep a child away from the other parent or legal guardian. A woman in Citrus County was recently arrested for interference with child custody when she forcefully took her children from the court-appointed guardian after being told she had no legal right to see them. Worrying about a parent kidnapping his/her child is a terrible scenario for the other parent, but the law does offer some protections to a parent fearing this possibility.

Parents at Risk of Violating Parenting Plan

The purpose of a parenting plan is to establish the responsibilities of each parent, and includes a time-sharing schedule that outlines how much time a child will spend with each parent. If a parent has legitimate evidence that another parent is likely to violate the parenting plan by removing a child from the state or concealing the child’s location, the parent can file a petition with the court asking it to block any possible attempts. The court has authority to prohibit the parent from taking certain actions that would facilitate travel with or concealment of the child. Some of the options a court has to inhibit a parent’s ability to violate the parenting plan include:

• requiring court permission or the consent of both parents to remove the child from the state or country;
• requiring the parent to surrender the child’s passport;
• imposing travel restrictions that insist on a parent providing a travel itinerary and contact information for the child before travel can commence;
• prohibiting a parent from removing the child from school or approaching the child outside of the designated site for visitation; and
• imposing limitations on visitation or requiring all visitation with the child be supervised until the risk of a parenting plan violation has subsided.

Bringing a Child Home

Once a child is taken to another state or country and contact with a parent is cut off, it is important to know what laws are in place to resolve this situation. Most states, Florida included, enacted a law that governs child custody disputes that cross state lines. The law, the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, allows courts in different states to speak to one another in order to determine which court should decide the child custody case, and ultimately, where the child should live. This decision is based on the residency of the child, which is typically established by where child lived for the previous six months. Consequently, taking legal action as soon as possible is important to preventing a change of residency for the child. Motions related to child custody disputes are heard quickly to facilitate an efficient resolution of the matter for the sake of the child, especially when parental kidnapping is alleged.

The most important thing, when a threat such as this exists, is to get a court order outlining the rights of each parent. Without this legal backing, law enforcement will not have the authority to intervene if there is a kidnapping, leaving one parent with little recourse to get the child back.

Hire a Family Law Attorney

If you are fighting with an ex-spouse about parenting time or other child-related matters, and fear he/she will take action to keep the child away from you, you need to speak with an experienced family law attorney as soon as possible. Keeping the child in the state is imperative to protecting your rights, and the attorneys at the All Family Law Group, P.A. understand how important child custody issues are. Contact the Tampa divorce attorneys and family lawyers at All Family Law Group, P.A. in Tampa Bay at 813-816-2232 for a consultation at no charge or email us.

by Lynette Silon-Laguna Google+

When a Parent Becomes a Kidnapper

Police in Massachusetts are searching for a Quincy-area mother for allegedly “kidnapping” her five children. Unfortunately, this mother is neither the first nor will she be the last parent to face accusations of “kidnapping” their own children. Although it may seem counterintuitive, Florida and other states allow a parent to be charged with kidnapping his or her own child. According to the U.S. Department of Justice and a 2002 study from its Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, an estimated 203,900 children were the victims of parental kidnapping in 1999. Fifty-three percent of these children were abducted by their father, while 25 percent were abducted by their mother. Twenty-one percent were missing or gone for one month or longer.

What Constitutes Parental Kidnapping?

While some divorcing parents are able to put aside their differences and feelings for one another and cooperate for the benefit of their child or children, other parents use children as a means of controlling or punishing the other parent. In general and regardless of the reason, any attempt by one parent to deny the other parent reasonable parenting time with the childwithout either an emergency or court order can be considered “parental kidnapping.” Common parental kidnapping scenarios include:

• Failing to follow a court-ordered parenting plan by failing to return the child at the conclusion of the parent’s parenting time;
• Moving out of state (or to another country) with the child without the approval of the other parent and/or the court;
• In the absence of a court-approved parenting plan, refusing to allow the other parent to exercise reasonable parenting time with the child.

Not all actions by a parent that deprive the other parent of parenting time will result in criminal sanctions. For instance, a parent charged with parental kidnapping can show that he or she deprived the other parent of parenting time because doing so was necessary to protect the welfare of the child.

What Should I Do if I Believe the Other Parent Will “Kidnap” Our Child?

If you believe that the other parent is likely to abduct or kidnap your child, you must be proactive. You do not necessarily need to wait for the other parent to actually kidnap the child in order to act; however, you may find a court is not able to help you if there is no evidence a kidnapping is about to take place. For instance, the fact that the other parent has relatives that live in another country may not be enough to convince a court to enter protective orders or award you sole custody. Conversely, relatives who live in another country coupled with texts, e-mails, or phone messages in which the other parent threatens to take the child away can influence a court to take protective measures.

As with any other custody-related issue, an experienced Tampa divorce attorney is useful in ensuring the proper motions are timely filed and decided in order to protect your child. At the All Family Law Group, P.A., we are here to help you. Contact our offices in Tampa Bay at 813-321-3421 for a consultation at no charge or email us.

By Lynette Silon-Laguna Google+