Fight for Your Parental Rights in International Custody Matters
When Illinois courts determine custody arrangements, they ultimately consider the best interests of the child/children involved. However, what are often relatively simple custody matters can quickly become complicated when one parent moves out of the state or out of the country.
If you need legal representation to protect your rights or the rights of your child, we can help. At the Naperville law office of Schaffer Family Law, Ltd., we represent parents and children in a variety of complex international custody disputes.
How Our Law Firm Can Help
We can represent you if:
- You live in the United States and your child has been abducted into a foreign country.
- You live anywhere in the world and your child has been abducted into the United States.
- You have been accused of international child abduction and need a lawyer to protect your parental rights.
We will carefully examine the facts to determine the strength of your case. We will give you straightforward advice so that you know exactly where you stand in the eyes of the law.
To learn more about your options, contact us to schedule a one-on-one appointment with our experienced lawyer, David N. Schaffer. We understand that your children are your top priority. We will work aggressively to advocate on their behalf.
A History of Success Serving Clients Worldwide
While his practice is rooted in Naperville, David N. Schaffer has successfully represented clients all over the world, including the Russian Federation, India, China, Ireland, Argentina, Germany, Saudi Arabia and France. He is one of the leading U.S. attorneys practicing in Hague Convention cases.
Among his many accomplishments in international custody matters, David successfully compelled the Cook County Circuit Court to throw out a custody jurisdictional ruling entered by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.
David has the knowledge and experience to effectively negotiate or litigate international child custody disputes. He understands the corresponding laws and has been repeatedly successful in these highly sensitive and specialized cases. His priority is to ensure that the parents of a kidnapped child have the opportunity to exert their rights and obtain justice.
Negotiating Complex International Child Custody Disputes
Parents who wish to move out of the country may do so by seeking a custody modification just as they would if they were moving out of state. Complications arise when a parent moves out of the country before a custody order is finalized or when a parent does so in violation of an existing order. When a parent moves out of the country in direct violation of a custody order, he or she is committing an international child abduction.
Many countries subscribe to the Hague Convention, which facilitates reciprocal agreements when it comes to custody. Although the Hague Convention does not ultimately decide custody cases, it does determine which jurisdiction or which country should hear the case. Generally, this is where the child had established familiar roots before his or her removal or abduction or, as the Convention calls it, the child’s “habitual residence.”
If a country has not signed onto the Hague Convention or a signatory country decides to go rogue, the process can be even more complicated. However, our experienced team is up to the task of helping left-behind parents regain custody of their children.
Need to enforce a support order overseas? We have experience handling international child support orders, including the enforcement of orders in foreign jurisdictions.
Contact Us to Get Our Help
If your child’s mother or father has unlawfully fled the country, contact us right away. We can handle the process of contacting domestic and foreign governments to ensure that your parental rights are being protected and the current custody order is being honored. We will fight aggressively on behalf of you and your child.
Our focused and detail-oriented representation is what makes us successful. To see how we can help you, contact our office in Naperville to schedule an initial consultation. You may send us an email or call us at 630-922-4500.