Filing for divorce is one of the most challenging life events that a person can experience. While it is possible for a divorce to be amicable, the truth is that they can also become extremely volatile when both parties cannot come to an agreement. Child custody is frequently the most-often cited cause of disagreements in a divorce, and the fear of losing custody of a child can cause some parents to resort to desperate measures. In the United States, the majority of child abductions involve a family member. To avoid having your child be involved in an abduction case, here is everything you need to know about parental abduction threat during divorce.
have had an unsatisfactory judgment made
regarding custody may feel desperate
enough to abduct their child.
Risk Factors for Abduction
While it is frightening to think that your child could be abducted, it is important to keep in mind that most child abduction cases follow a similar pattern. For example, parents who are more likely to abduct their children often have their custody or visitation rights compromised due to a past history of violent behavior, drug abuse or other related crimes. Additionally, parents who exhibit volatile behavior or who have had an unsatisfactory judgment made regarding custody may feel desperate enough to abduct their child.
How to Protect Your Child
When the right risk factors are in place, there are many things you can do to protect your child. First, you will need to consider filing for sole custody in court with restrictions placed upon the non-custodial parent’s right to visit or communicate with the child. Second, it may be necessary to contact schools and daycares to keep them informed regarding the possibility of a parental abduction so that they can contact local law enforcement agencies should the non-custodial parent try to pick the child up from their caregiver or school. Finally, a private investigator can be hired to track a parent’s movements to determine if they may be planning an abduction.
Handling a Child Abduction
If a parental abduction should occur, it is important to act quickly. If custody has not been settled yet, then it can be challenging to get a child back without continuing through the court system. Parents who may take their child across state or international borders could also gain enough ground to avoid detection if a search is not launched immediately. Therefore, it is important to report suspected abduction immediately while informing all law enforcement officers of any potential dangers that may be posed by the abducting parent.
No parent wants to consider the possibility of having their child be abducted, and the last thing you want to do is suspect your ex-spouse; however, divorce is one of the leading risk factors for family-involved abductions. Understanding the red flags of a parental abduction along with how you can take the right steps to prevent one is the best way to protect your child while you navigate through the messy process of filing for divorce and settling custody. Hiring a private investigator can help you keep tabs on your ex and having two sets of eyes might be what you need to make sure the worst is avoided.
For those seeking truths about their ex spouse or spouse, Tom resides in Austin, TX and is a professional private investigator. When he’s not actively collecting information for his client, he finds himself enjoying this great, weird city of Austin.
Image Credit:
Ningmili – FreeDigitalPhotos.Net
