Parents in Illinois who get divorced can have a seemingly never-ending list of issues to be concerned about. This is particularly true for any topic that involves their children. If you are facing a divorce or have already gotten a divorce and have minor children, you understand this all too well. Decisions about child custody including both legal custody and physical custody can be some of the most difficult to come to during a divorce process.
If your child’s other parent is a citizen of another country and you have been embroiled in an adversarial custody dispute, you may logically be worried that your child could be taken out of the United States and away from you. If this happens against your wishes and against the express directives as outlined in your custody and divorce decree, you will need to take action. According to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, it is imperative that you contact law enforcement officials as soon as you suspect such actions. International abduction or even the threat thereof should always be taken seriously.
Having your legal paperwork available to share with authorities is also important. This information will provide police or others involved the parameters of your custody agreement. The more detailed your agreement is, the better for you. Ideally your custody order will stipulate things like the days and exact times that children should be given back from one parent to the other. Whether or not approval by the other parent or the court is needed to take a child out of the local area should also be detailed.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but general information about international abduction of a child by a parent from Illinois.
