One of the most heart wrenching facets of divorce in Ohio may be related to child custody. Some parents work together as partners to determine what is in the best interest of the child, but there are other parents that find it difficult to decide how to best divide their child’s time between the two of them. When child custody issues arise, it can be a considerable challenge for everyone involved.
This is the story of a man who faced one such child custody issue. The former marine turned sheriff’s officer recently appeared before Congress showing his support for a bill that may prevent parents from fleeing the country with their children. Apparently the man’s wife took the children seven years ago and fled to Japan with illegal passports. The man is part of a group that supports parents that are left behind.
A report from the State Department revealed that in the four year time period between 2008 and 2012 there were 7,000 children that were abducted by one parent and shuttled away to a foreign country, where U.S. law has no authority to bring them back. Unfortunately, the numbers reveal that the man is not alone in his fight.
Not all parents flee the country with children in tow in order to skip the modern conventions that exist in U.S. law for child custody. There are, however, occasions when parents make rash decisions and fail to keep the best interests of their children at heart. When a parent is experiencing issues with custody, it may be helpful for him or her to seek the advice of an experienced attorney.
Source: North Jersey, “Bill may help ‘left-behind’ parents’ in global child custody fights,” Herb Jackson, Dec. 12, 2013