International Child Abduction

Nationwide International Child Abduction Lawyer

Parental kidnapping is a serious crime and can have a major impact on the emotional well-being of the child. The tragedy of having your child abducted is devastating. When a parent takes the child across international borders, the legal difficulties involved in a safe return often become extremely complex. In other cases the removal of a child by a parent is perfectly legal and that parent deserves to be represented by competent counsel when an action under the Hague Convention or otherwise is filed against him or her. We are also experienced in handling cases for parents unfairly charged with abduction.

We fight to keep jurisdiction in the United States

Attorney Philip Schwartz of Schwartz & Associates, LLC, has been nationally and internationally recognized as a leading international child abduction attorney. Our firm works closely with international authorities, whose responsibilities include enforcing the provisions of The Hague Convention and other child abduction mechanisms, including which jurisdiction is appropriate to hear an international child abduction case. We have helped numerous people secure the safe return of children to their country of habitual residence.

If you need to recover custody of a child who has been taken across international borders, we can help. Contact the international child abduction law firm of Schwartz & Associates, LLC, to schedule a consultation. We help people throughout the United States and abroad.

Partnering with the U.S. Government to return your child safely

We work closely with U.S. State Department officials to ensure that the appropriate foreign government entities understand the importance of treating parental kidnapping as a serious matter under U.S. and international law. If your child has been abducted and taken to a foreign country, we do everything we can to ensure the safe return of your child, including helping to ensure that the U.S. State Department gets involved. The State Department will:

• Help parents file a "safe return" application with the foreign authorities
• Have embassy officials locate, visit, and report on the child's welfare
• Provide information about the foreign country's laws
• Provide a point of contact for the custodial parent
• Monitor the investigation and judicial process in the foreign country
• Help parents contact the appropriate local officials in the foreign country
• Have the child's passport listed on a lookout database

For more answers about our international child abduction services, contact our offices to schedule a consultation with attorney Philip Schwartz.