Is parental kidnapping occurring in your child custody case?

On Behalf of | May 20, 2023 | Family Law

Striving for a fair outcome in your child custody case can be an arduous affair under the best circumstances, but matters become more complex when your co-parent is willing to stoop to depraved levels to get what they want.

Parental kidnapping is an obvious act of physically distancing the child from the other parent, but a malicious co-parent might try to subtly distance the child slowly over time. It can be difficult to notice that parental kidnapping is occurring during the early stages, but you can prepare by knowing some telltale signs that parental kidnapping is about to occur and how this act can affect your child custody case overall.

What are the signs of parental kidnapping?

There are certain behaviors that may indicate that a parent is planning to violate the temporary custody order handed down during a divorce case or child custody proceedings. Be mindful of signs that the other parent is negatively influencing your child’s opinion of you or withholding information pertaining to your child from you. These are acts of parental alienation that can precede a blatant attempt at parental kidnapping.

How does parental kidnapping affect a child custody case?

Some instances of parental kidnapping are obvious violations of parental rights, such as if the offending parent takes the child across state lines without consent. Other acts of distancing the child from the other parent may be more subtle and might require proof. Successfully proving that the other parent is guilty of parental kidnapping can result in permanent revocation of some or all of the offending parent’s rights to the child.

When you notice that your co-parent is alienating or distancing your child from you in the midst of a divorce case, you may have grounds to take legal action in defense of your parental rights.