Custody disputes in Montgomery, Tennessee, can occur between parents that live either in the same or different states. There are also cases where the two parents live in different countries altogether. These custody battles, which cross national boundaries, can take a heavy toll on both the parents and their children.
A recent child custody dispute making national headlines illustrates this point. Last summer, two children, aged 11 and 12, traveled to a foreign country to spend time with their father. It wasn’t until early August that the mother found out that her ex-husband had decided to keep the children in the foreign country and had enrolled them in the local school system.
The woman immediately understood that this was a case of international abduction. Even though the mother had been awarded custody of her kids, American custody decrees would hold no value in the father’s country. And incredibly, parental kidnapping in that country was not considered a crime! As a first step, the mother appeared before a local state judge and secured child abduction charges against her former husband.
The mother then consulted numerous attorneys, state department officials, embassy workers and law enforcement personnel. She travelled to the foreign country and managed to convince the foreign authorities to let her and her children return to America. One key provision was that she brought all of the required documentation and evidence with her.
This case demonstrates the importance of having the proper guidance when facing critical issues such as this. If the mother hadn’t consulted the correct parties, it’s possible that she would not have been reunited with her children. For any parent faced with a similar situation, finding the correct legal and governmental resources is of paramount importance.
Source: News Tribune, “Two children allowed to return to America with mother,” Kris Hilgedick, Dec. 15, 2013
