Parents in Montgomery who are involved in a child custody battle need to keep in mind that criminal charges could be filed if they take the law into their own hands and violate terms of the agreement. Parents who share a child need to understand that in spite of any custody dispute, visitation rights and the rules associated with them must be adhered to. If they are seeking modification, they should try to work within the law to achieve it.
A mother is believed to have taken her three sons without permission and law enforcement was searching for her and the children. The 32-year-old woman is believed to be homeless and have mental issues. The woman and the boys were recently found by police.
She had taken the children — one age nine and two age seven — for a scheduled visit and failed to return them to the father. The children were supposed to have been with the mother over the weekend and returned on Sunday so they could go to school. Law enforcement is familiar with the family and has concerns about the safety of the children. The father contacted police when the children were not brought back at the scheduled time.
Whenever parents — married or not — share a child, there are going to be legal issues that have to be dealt with. The child must be cared for and have a stable environment. In general, one parent will have physical custody while the other receives visitation rights. There might be joint custody. In some instances, there is a custody dispute that can go on for an extended period. In a best case scenario, parents will follow the agreement even if it is not viewed as favorable to them and they will do so with the child’s best interests in mind.
In this case, the mother had the children for scheduled visitation and did not return them to the father. As a result, there was a search for the mother and the children. With a custody dispute, it is best to avoid problems with the law that can lead to criminal charges. Parents who are embroiled in a battle over child custody that they may have options within the law to obtain more time with their children. By taking matters into their own hands, they risk criminal penalties.
Source: PIX11, “Amber Alert issued for Conn. mother, 3 sons,” May 13, 2014
