Surrey Child Abduction Return Lawyers at MacLean Law deal with cases involving the denial of parenting time and the wrongful removal of a child from the child’s home base. These wrongful child removals may be within British Columbia or across Canada or even around the world. Robert McQueen, head of our Surrey Child Abduction Return Lawyers team explains international child abduction in this blog. Immediate action is needed if your child has been removed from their home without consent.
Surrey Child Abduction Return Lawyers Call 1 877 602 9900
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction deals with cases where children are removed from Canada improperly and cases where children may be brought to Canada wrongfully and retained here.
The possible or actual removal of a child or children to a foreign country by a parent or former partner without the consent of the other parent is a circumstance that is not altogether uncommon. The process is called international child abduction.
Hague Convention Call 1 877 602 9900
The Government of Canada defines the term as:
- International child abduction occurs when a parent, guardian or another person with lawful care of charge of a child removes that child from Canada, or retains that child outside Canada, without either the legal authority or permission of a parent who has full or joint custody rights.
- The parent who remains in Canada without his/her child/children is known as “the left behind parent.”
- The left-behind parent may well be in a state of panic feeling confused, bewildered and at a loss as to how to begin the process of having the child/children returned to Canada.
- The first step is to try and locate the child/children. If the location is known, then steps to obtain the legal return of the children to Canada should be taken immediately. Call our Surrey Child Abduction Return Lawyers immediately.
- If the country in which the children have been retained in is a member of The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction there is a legal process to follow in which the left-behind parent can ask the foreign court for an order for the return of the children.
- There are many aspects of international child abduction to consider. In the event the children are not in a Hague Convention member country, steps to be taken for the return of the children are different.
Robert McQueen, one of our experienced Surrey Child Abduction Return Lawyers is available to meet you across BC if you are involved in a Hague Convention or other child abduction case. Surrey Child Abduction Return Lawyers point out that there are several exceptions to return of the child to the home state as explained in our other blogs on this serious topic.
The Canadian Government has posted a helpful booklet to assist parents in preventing child abduction on its website The booklet contains useful information with respect to a parent being pro-active and reactive to child abduction including tips regarding the emotional impact of an abduction. Robert McQueen, one of our experienced Surrey Child Abduction Return Lawyers strongly recommend parents to read the booklet and immediately commence proceedings for the return of the children in the event a child has been abducted by another parent.
Call Our Surrey Child Abduction Return Lawyers Call 1 877 602 9900
At this stage of a child abduction matter, the assistance of an experienced Hague Convention lawyer can make the difficulties involved in child abduction move along as quickly as possible. Senior family lawyer Robert McQueen has experience representing the left behind parent and the abducting parent in international and national child abduction cases. For information on exceptions to the prompt return of the child click here.
