Children Matters and Child Abduction

Farleys Solicitors has a specialist team of family law solicitors who provide expert advice on children matters and child abduction.

If you are worried that your child may be taken out of the UK against your consent, then Farleys family law solicitors can help you prevent a potential child abduction. If your child has already been taken against your consent, our child abduction solicitors can help to resolve the situation.

How our family law solicitors can prevent child abduction

Where there is real concern that the other parent may try to abduct your child or take him or her out of the UK permanently, we can apply to the court for a Prohibited Steps order, a Residence order and/or a Parental Responsibility order as appropriate in your case. This will provide that your child cannot be taken out of the UK and may require the surrender of your child's passport.

We can also help you alert the police. You will have to give a statement and provide evidence of the danger of abduction so they can circulate a picture and details of your child to the relevant authorities such as the Passport Agency, as well as notifying all ports and border agents.

If the other parent has dual citizenship your family law solicitor can also help you draft a letter to the embassy or consulate of any other country where a passport for your child might be obtained, asking them not to issue a passport. While they would have no legal obligation to comply with the request they may choose to do so.

How our family law solicitors can recover an abducted child from a foreign country

If your child has been taken to a country within the European Union (under the Brussels II Revised convention), a country which subscribes to the Hague Convention or the European Convention, an application can be made to the country your child has been taken to for your child to be returned. Generally speaking, these conventions recognise that the child's best interests are served by remaining in the country where they have grown up.

If your child has been taken to a country that does not subscribe to any of these international agreements, we can assist you in obtaining advice on the laws in the country where your child has been taken and how to make an application under those laws.

Whatever your situation, it is imperative that you get the best advice possible from a solicitor who specialises in children matters and child abduction.

Contact a legal expert now to get advice on Children Matters and Child Abduction. Farleys Solicitors have lawyers waiting to help you, contact us by e-mail or on 0845 050 1958 now.