What You Need To Know To Protect Your Child
During the holidays it’s often a parent who abducts their child. Or, they take them on holidays and then don’t bring the child back when they’re supposed to. This is known as wrongful detainment.
If parents are divorced then it’s a matter of who has custody of the child. If the parent who does not have custody takes a child, that is classified as child abduction.
According to a recent report it seems that school holidays are when the most children go missing. This is, according to the report, because a parent takes their child overseas for holidays and retains them there.
How You Can Protect Your Child…
The Australian Courts have a number of services in place to help you keep your child safely in the country.
Australia takes part in the Hague Convention.
The Hague Convention is design to discourage international parental child abduction. It also is meant to ensure that if a child has been abducted or wrongfully retained to be promptly returned to their country of habitual residence.
However, the Convention only has power to work in other Convention countries. Recently the Russian Federation sanctioned the Hague Convention and it is possible that by the end of the year Japan will have signed it too. Which is great news. The more countries that ratify the Hague Convention the better it will be for the safety and welfare of children.
Protecting your Children in Australia…
The Australian courts have a number of options for keeping your child safe from international abduction. If want to prevent your child from leaving Australia, you can apply to the court for an order that:
- Prevents a child from leaving Australia
- Prevents a child from being issued a passport
The best way to apply to the courts is to go through a law firm. Here at DA Family lawyers in Brisbane our expertise lies in court appearances and as such we have experience in all legal matters regarding children. We understand how the courts work and can consult with you as to the best way to approach a situation.
It’s About the Welfare of the Child…
Resolving a case of parental child abduction or a parent wrongfully retaining a child should not be about the parents. Insomuch as the results of the case should focus on the safety and welfare of the child. After all, the
Hague Convention was set in place to protect children from being taken away from their country of habitual residence.
DA Family Lawyers work closely with our clients to try and facilitate a sensitive and cost-effective approach to your legal matters.
For more information on how DA Family Lawyers can help you resolve your family disputes, or to book to a consultation at our Brisbane law firm, please don’t hesitate to contact us.