If your child is abducted, we will work hard to bring them back home quickly and safely
If your child is abducted, you will need to get in touch with a solicitor specialising in child abduction cases as soon as possible. We are experienced in dealing with child abduction matters and we will do all we can to help bring your child back home quickly and safely.
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What is child abduction?
Child abduction refers to the act of taking a child away from their legal guardian without their consent. Child abduction can occur in various forms, including international child abduction, where a child is taken to a different country without the consent of their legal guardian.
Removing a child from their home in the UK or more commonly taking a child abroad without the other parent’s consent is child abduction. The courts, assisted by the Central Authorities in the relevant countries and the police, under various treaties/European regulations and the Hague Conventions on child abduction are required to cooperate fully to secure and enforce orders for the return of your child as soon as possible.
However, if your child has been abducted in a country that is not covered by these treaties or conventions, the process can be more difficult and take longer to resolve in the courts. At Moore Barlow, we work with many experts in this area of law both in the UK and abroad so that we can help bring your child safely home.
Solicitors dealing with international child abduction
In an international divorce, where the parents may live in different countries, child abduction can be more of a risk. Parents who have ready access to a home and resources in another country can take matters into their own hands, sometimes out of desperation. However difficult the circumstances, child abduction is still an offence and if it’s your child who is missing, you will want urgent legal support.
Whether your child has been taken to a country that is covered by EU rules or the Hague Convention on Child Abduction or more worryingly countries which have not signed up to such treaties, then our English lawyers will work quickly and closely with lawyers in the other country and their courts to ensure your child is brought home.
Our expert child abduction lawyers can support you in providing urgent assistance at such a desperate and stressing time.
How Moore Barlow can help you
As mentioned above, in international child abduction matters some countries are part of the Hague Conventions and other treaties and in these circumstances our child abduction lawyers can make a Hague Convention application via the relevant Central Authority. This will mean they should have the full co-operation of the authorities both in the UK and the country where your child has been taken to.
Our expert family law team are based in our offices in London, Richmond, Southampton, Guildford, Lymington and Woking and can offer specialist support on a local, national, and international level.
FAQs about child abduction
What is child abduction?
Child abduction is the unauthorised removal of a minor from a parent or anyone with legal responsibility for the child.
Can a parent abduct a child?
The answer to this frequently asked question is a resounding yes.
Further it is a misconception that such actions amount to child abduction only if a child is removed by a third party to another country. A parent will commit the offence of child abduction if they remove the children from their home in England or to another undisclosed place in England without the other parent’s consent.
What can I do when my child has been abducted?
There are a number of ways you as a parent or legal guardian can the assist us and authorities to act quickly to help locate your child when they have been abducted. These are to provide:
- Up-to-date child arrangement documentation, in some countries called custody arrangements.
- Recent photos and legal documentation about your child such as birth certificates and passports.
- Up-to-date medical and dental records.
- Details of when and where your child was travelling to.
