Child Abduction
If your child is abducted, or if you fear your child is at risk of abduction, then clearly the first step you should take is to contact the police. If your child is taken from you by a parent with parental responsibility the Police can be reluctant to take any action. In these cases we can help you by applying to Court for an order that the child should be returned to you. This order is carried out by the Police. These are emergency orders and can be obtained extremely quickly and if the case is sufficiently urgent even on the same day that you come to see us.
These situations can be resolved very quickly, but it is not surprising that the situation is far more complicated when your child is taken abroad. There are steps that we can take if this happens, particularly if the country that the child is taken to is a Hague convention country. Countries who have adopted the Hague Convention agree that children should be returned to the country where they usually live without considering in detail who the child should live with because that question should be decided in the country where the child usually lives. If the country is not a Hague Convention country it is much more difficult to arrange the child's return, but there are still steps that can be taken in the High Court under its inherent jurisdiction. If this applies to you, please contact us urgently so that we can arrange an appointment for you to see one of our experts on international child abduction.
If you believe that there is a risk that your child could be abducted abroad then it is important to take steps now to try to avoid this happening. Please contact us urgently so we can discuss protective measures and orders that we could obtain, for example a Prohibited Steps Order to prevent the absent parent removing the child from the country. You can also take practical steps to avoid child abduction, such as making sure you know where your child's passport and birth certificate are and that they are safe. It is also advisable to keep copies of important documents and to keep recent photographs of your child. More information regarding preventative steps that you can take can be found on the Reunite website.
