On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Child Custody on Thursday, December 19, 2019.
Every Missouri parent can probably recall an occasion on which he or she was at odds with the other parent over an issue regarding a child. When it comes to children, it can be hard for both parents to agree on what is best. In cases where parents maintain separate households, they often are bound by the terms of a child custody order.
A parent may disagree with a particular court order, and sometimes a parent may resort to desperate measures to circumvent terms he or she is not willing to follow. A recent news story concerned one mother’s plan to hop from state to state in an effort to keep her children in her custody. Last summer, she was locked in a custody battle with the father of her children, and had previously claimed that her children were being abused by someone in the family.
Investigators determined that claims of abuse were unfounded, and the court awarded custody of the children to the father. The mother apparently took the kids with her on vacation, and never returned. She later tried to get the court in another state to award her custody, but the court honored the order from her home state and ordered her to return the children. She refused, and has since been spotted in at least five states. She is now wanted on criminal charges.
When a Missouri parent wants to establish, modify or enforce a child custody order, he or she must do so in court. A parent that tries to take matters into his or her own hands may wind up facing criminal charges. The legal system may seen daunting, but parents always have to option to seek advice and assistance from an experienced family law attorney. An attorney can help a client navigate the legal proceedings, and fight for custody while remaining in compliance with the laws.
