International custody laws complicated a recent Orange County case. If you’ve ever been involved in a child custody battle then you know how difficult they can get at times. Imagine the additional complications imposed by separation across thousands of miles of land and ocean as well as differing international child custody laws and you have yourself a situation primed for frustration.
This was recently the case for a California mother who was fighting for custody of her 11-year-old daughter. Ultimately the decision over how often she will see her daughter rested in the hands of an Orange County Superior Court judge.
The girl’s father, who is a Denmark citizen, accused his ex-wife, who is a United States citizen, of abducting their 11-year-old daughter. According to court records, the girl ran away from her father’s home in Denmark and arrived in the U.S. whereupon she stayed with her mother in Laguna Niguel. The girl’s mother denied the accusations made by her ex-husband and contended that she left Denmark as a way of escaping violence against herself and her daughter.
Because both the U.S. and Denmark have signed the Hague Convention — an international agreement that requires countries to recognize the child custody laws of another country for the purposes of determining child custody — it’s difficult in these cases to predict who will have jurisdiction in the matter or how custody will be established. The case was further complicated by the fact that the couple had another child together.
It is easy to see how international custody laws complicated a recent Orange County case. Complex child custody cases including international custody disputes or move away and relocation disputes require the experienced and proven divorce and trial attorneys at Burke & Domercq. Each of our partners has decades of experience in complex child custody cases. We invite you to review the powerful recommendations of our clients and contact Burke & Domercq or call 760-389-3927 to schedule an appointment.