Child custody cases can be complicated enough within the United States. Yet when there’s a child custody dispute between parents in separate countries, there are even more complex legal issues for the courts to consider, as well as additional procedures to go through.
International child abduction has become an increasing problem around the world, but the good news is that more than 80 countries have adopted the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abductions. FindLaw’s KnowledgeBase writes that this treaty is supposed to establish procedures so that wrongful removal or retention of children can be avoided across international borders.
But so far, the treaty has not helped one Plano, Texas, father get to see his daughter.
Beacause even with the Hague Convention, there are still problems with enforcement at the international level. KDAF-TV reports that North Texas father, Bart Hermer, is now involved in an international child custody dispute with his ex-fiancé in Britain, who allegedly abducted their daughter before they ever went through with their planned marriage. Hermer, says that he tried to use international Hague statues to get his daughter Alessia back in the United States, but that the British court ruled that he had no parental rights. The court gave custody of Alessia to his English fiancé.
Hermer says that the Texas law, however, is on his side. Legal experts say that international custody disputes can go years before matters are resolved and there are cases where a child is never returned after an international child abduction. As for Bart Hermer, he has so far gone six months without seeing his daughter.
Related Resources:
- Find a Houston Family Law Attorney (FindLaw)
- Child Custody Basics (FindLaw)
- Child Custody Problems (FindLaw)
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