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Our child abduction solicitors are able to represent parents both in this country and abroad in parental or international abduction cases. If your child has been taken without consent or you wish to move to oppose a former partner relocating with your child contact us and our parental abduction experts will be able to advise and assist you regarding your rights, call us on 0203 816 0548.
Our parental child abduction solicitors are approved by and are members of many key associations which enhance our ability to help you, including leading international abduction charity Reunite International.
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Subject to the Child Abduction Act 1984, a criminal offence occurs if a child is taken out of the United Kingdom by a person connected with said child without the appropriate consent. Consent must be approved by the following:
It is much easier to prevent a parental child abduction taking place than it is to go through the courts to have an abducted child returned to their country of residence. If you suspect that your child is at risk of parental child abduction there are several steps you can take in order to prevent them being taken out of the country without your consent.
If you have parental responsibility and are worried that your child may be abducted by their other parent it is important that you speak to a solicitor to put preventative measures in place. To speak to a member of our specialist child abduction team please call us on 0203 816 0548.
If you have a genuine fear that your child is going to be abducted there are several things that can be done to prevent this from happening.
We can put a prohibited steps order in place for you. A prohibited steps order prevents your child’s other parent from taking them out of the country without your permission. We can also apply to the court to request that your child’s passport or the passport of the other parent (if the child is mentioned on that passport) is surrendered.
There are other steps that can be taken by yourself such as:
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Where a child is taken to or kept in a country that is not their usual country of residence without the consent of both parents the child may be considered to have been abducted and recourse may be available through the courts. In addition, where one parent decides to take their child to another country or keep them there without the consent of the other parent they may be committing a criminal offence.
If your child has been abducted from the UK or you believe they are at risk of this, they have been brought to the UK without your consent or you have brought your child to the UK without the other parent’s consent and you need expert legal advice please call our team as soon as possible on 0203 816 0548 or fill in our online enquiry form. Acting quickly is essential in these cases.
If your child has been abducted we may be able to help you under the Hague Convention. The Hague Convention aims to ensure the safe return of an abducted child back to their country of residence.
A Hague Convention application can be made when a child is taken to or kept in a country that is not their usual country of residence without the consent of both parents and where both countries are party to the convention.
There are a large number of countries signed up to the Hague Convention but if the country your child has been taken to is not part of the agreement we can still advise you on the other options available to you in order to secure your child’s safe return to this country. This may include applying to court here or co-operating with lawyers in the country to which your child has been taken.
If the country your child has been taken to is not a party there may be other steps we can take to get your child returned to their country of residence quickly and safely.
If your child has been taken to another country by their other parent in what you suspect is an abduction it is essential that you act quickly.
If your child has been taken out of the country without your consent you must act quickly. Where there is no inter-country agreement our child abduction solicitors will advise you on the other options available to you to secure your child’s return to this country. These may include applying to court here or co-operating with lawyers in the country to which your child has been taken.
Our experienced child abduction solicitors understand the stress and anxiety child abduction cases bring and aim to work with you to get the best possible outcome and return your child safely to their country of residence. Our solicitors are approved by the leading international child abduction charity – Reunite International.
If your child has been abducted by their other parent please call our child abduction team today on 0203 816 0548 or fill in our online enquiry form and a member of the team will contact you directly.
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As an award-winning top 150 law firm, with over 450 staff based in offices across the country, you're never far from the advice you need.
