Divorce can be a different experienced for everyone. Many individuals are able to get the most out of their former marriage while others feel like they’re getting the short end of the stick. One of the most disputed issues in divorce is child custody. Determining who gets to keep the kids or how often one parent gets to see them can often lead to a bitter custody battle. But what happens when one parent takes the kids and flees to another country? Two Tennessee boys are currently stuck right in the middle of their parent’s international custody battle.
An international custody dispute has begun that involves a pair of 13-year-old twin boys. It ranges from Tennessee all the way to Eastern Europe. The boys were born in America but lived in Hungary for most of their lives. After their father took them to visit family in Tennessee, he was supposed to return to Romania where they were currently living. Instead he filed for divorce from his wife and kept the boys in Tennessee. After the father did not return home with the boys, the mother sought help from the U.S. State Department.
Anytime an international abduction takes place, a lengthy and expensive court battle may follow. Eighty-nine countries across the globe have signed the Hague Convention. The agreement prevents parents from illegally retaining children in another country. In order to legally get custody of children in an international dispute, one parent must prove habitual residence of the children. In many cases habitual residence is generally where the children were primarily raised. There are many other factors that can make or break an international child custody ruling.
Any Tennessee parent going through a difficult child custody dispute may find the help of an attorney to be beneficial. Children are often the most important part of a parent’s life.
Source: The Tennessean, “International child custody trial begins in Nashville,” Shelia Burke, May 22, 2013