You know that your court-ordered custody agreement is what you and your spouse have to abide by in the future. You’re obligated to stick to that custody agreement to be sure that you both get to see your child regularly.
What has caught your attention, though, is that your child has been excited about an upcoming trip. You don’t know anything about a trip, and your custody agreement says that neither you nor the other parent may go out of the state with your child. Part of you may want to think that you just haven’t had a conversation about the trip yet, but the reality is that the trip doesn’t fit the custody agreement you have in place.
Watch out for the red flags of parental kidnapping
There are many red flags to watch out for with custody issues. One of them is finding out that the other parent is planning a trip that you don’t know about.
There are some times when you need to take immediate legal action against parental kidnapping, such as if:
- You didn’t talk to your ex-spouse about getting your child a passport but they suddenly have one
- Your child shows you a plane ticket for a trip that would occur during your custody time
There are also times when you should reach out to your ex to clarify what’s going on, such as if:
- You find out that your ex-spouse quit their job suddenly
- You find out that your ex-spouse has started collecting copies of important paperwork about your child’s education or medical history
The reality is that those who deal with child custody conflicts may have to worry about parental kidnapping. It’s unfortunate, but when one parent has few ties to a local area and feels desperate to maintain custody of their child, they may try to take them away. Sometimes, this is done as a way to punish the other parent, but it only hurts your child in the end.
If you see the red flags lining up, take action right away. If you report unusual activity early, then you may be able to prevent a parental kidnapping from taking place.