US Parents in International Abduction Cases to Receive More Assistance from the Feds!

US parents who are fighting for the return of their children to the United States received some legal help with the passage of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014.

The law, signed by President Obama on August 8, 2014, was named for and written in response to a New Jersey’s father custody dispute when his child was wrongfully kept in Brazil.  He argued in US and Brazilian courts for many years before his son was returned to the US.  According to this article, the bill will “help the State Department put increasing pressure on foreign governments to send home American children who were abducted overseas.”

Congress found that “more than 1,000 outgoing international child abductions are reported every year.”  The bill provides the assistance of the United States government to US based parents in international custody disputes by requiring “better reporting and support from the State Department so that left-behind parents are not on their own in overseas battles to win the return of their abducted children.”

Whether your custody dispute is domestic or international, be sure to speak to an experienced family law attorney who can advise you as to your rights as to the proper forum to adjudicate custody and visitation issues.