Can my child’s other parent refuse to allow me to leave with our child? We get a lot of questions about what your child’s other parent can and can’t do as the situation moves towards a separation. I get it – it’s scary, it’s emotionally charged, and it can get ugly, really, really fast. There’s really nothing that pulls on our heartstrings quite as quickly and aggressively and viscerally as our children. We can’t help it. It’s biological. But what do you do? You can’t stay where you are … [Read more...]
Amber Alerts, Parental Kidnapping, and Emma Grace Kennedy
When Emma Grace Kennedy was kidnapped last week by her sex offender father at a gas station, it seems like EVERYBODY knew about it right away. There were Amber Alert billboards, text messages, and stories on the news. It’s every mom’s worst nightmare, especially for moms who are separated from their children’s fathers, but especially in cases where there’s something wrong with dad – whether he’s a sex offender, a substance abuser, a physically violent person, or something else, it adds an … [Read more...]
Parental Kidnapping in Virginia
It happens semi regularly that we end up with a client who has moved with her child (or children) to another state over dad’s objection. If dad doesn’t care, it’s not a really big deal. If he does, though, and he files an emergency petition for custody, you could find yourself up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Parental Kidnapping in Virginia They’re your kids, so you can’t kidnap them, right? I mean, the whole idea is just ludicrous isn’t it?…Except it’s not. Just like you have a … [Read more...]
Will he take our child and run?
For most moms where a custody case is at stake, one of the biggest, most suffocating fears they have is the possibility that their child’s father will take the child and not return him. Whether he takes the child and runs or whether he just refuses to return him to mom, it doesn’t matter; the fear is real, and it’s crippling. How do I prevent him from taking the child and running? Really, the only way to prevent him from taking the child and running is by getting some kind of custody order … [Read more...]
Can I move with our child in Virginia?
If you’re feeling unsafe, it’s only natural to want to run away—particularly if the very person who is making you feel unsafe is your child’s father. In my career, I’ve heard some pretty awful horror stories about the situations that have made my clients feel like they have no choice other than to flee. Usually, they run away to somewhere safe—like their parent’s home. In fact, recently I’ve had a number of cases like this, where my client took the child to another state where her parents lived … [Read more...]
