There are times when a parent abandons the home and disappears with a child i.e. not saying where he/she will be living and/or how contact can be made. This is extremely stressful and may occur for a number of reasons. One reason that a woman may do this is due to a Domestic Violence situation in which she is afraid to remain in the home. In this case a woman may go to a shelter with the child or to family or friends and may not wish to say where she is out of fear.
If Domestic Violence is not a factor, it is a crime for either parent to take children out of the home and not state where the children will reside. This is especially stressful when children are taken out of the city, state or, much worse, out of the country. If you are married and your spouse and child leave the home and you do not know where they are, be advised that the offending parent can be charged with ‘parental kidnapping‘. In this case a report should be made with the police so that every attempt can be made to find the child. The same report can be made if you are not married, but have court orders for custody & visitation.
However, if you are a father, not married and without court orders then you will need to file a Petition to Establish Parental Relationship and try to find the mother so that she can be served. If you can’t find the mom, it will be difficult to move forward. For this reason, it is very important for fathers to get court orders for children when they know where the mom is and not wait until a potential change.
If you have questions about ‘parental kidnapping’, paternity or child issues such as Custody, Visitation & Support give the Family Law Lawyers at Legal Action Workshop a call @ 1-800-HELP-444 (1-800-435-7444). With over 35 years’ experience, we can advise you as to your best options. Please visit our website @ www.LegalActionWorkshopLAW.com for more information.