Interesting Article

[JBMD]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10286601/

No question here ... just thought that some of you would be interested in this international custody fight! Guess it doesn't always work the way it should!

 

[casa]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10286601/

No question here ... just thought that some of you would be interested in this international custody fight! Guess it doesn't always work the way it should!

And this is one of the many reasons that senior members seem to come off 'harsh' when responding to parents who want to move out of state/country with children.

 

[LdiJ]

The child is 11 now...its been 8 years, so the child must have been 3 when mom first took the child to the UK.

As unfair as this case is to dad....and as wrong as mom was, I think that it would be difficult for a UK court to rule in dad's favor, on a pure "best interest" basis.

It could be traumatic for an 11 year old to have to leave their entire "world" to move overseas to a place that is no longer familiar to them.

Its a really tough one altogether....mom shouldn't be rewarded for her bad behavior by winning this one.....but the child shouldn't be punished either for mom's bad behavior.

 

[nextwife]

Its a really tough one altogether....mom shouldn't be rewarded for her bad behavior by winning this one.....but the child shouldn't be punished either for mom's bad behavior.

A child spending significant time with, and getting to know her dad ISN'T "punishing her". Getting to spend part of her youth kliving with her daddy ISN'T "punishment". Missing out on that is the punishment!

MOM is the one who punished her by taking her away from any chance to have a relationship with her Daddy! AS stated here many time, we don't let CHILDREN don't choose.

 

[LdiJ]

A child spending significant time with, and getting to know her dad ISN'T "punishing her". Getting to spend part of her youth kliving with her daddy ISN'T "punishment". Missing out on that is the punishment!

MOM is the one who punished her by taking her away from any chance to have a relationship with her Daddy! AS stated here many time, we don't let CHILDREN don't choose.

Come on here....lets be realistic....lets assume a GAL or the equivalent is involved.

MOM DID WRONG....there is no doubt about that.

However this child is 11 years old and is living in another country....and has been for the last 8 years. Obviously any court is going to make a "best interests" decision.

Can you imagine a US court deciding to return a child to another country after 8 years? I can't. I can imagine a US court giving visitation to the parent, with strict provisos...but I honestly can't imagine a GAL recommendation or determination that it was in the child's best interest to be transferred to another country after 8 years.

This isn't a simple thing....its huge and complicated and the child's best interest has to be paramount.

Personally...with a case like this one I don't care squat about either parent....I care about the child. Yes, she deserves to know her father....and spend time with her father..but for goodness sake this child has lived in the UK basically her entire life.

The UK courts are going to decide this one based on "best interest" just like the US courts would. And YES...best interest may be totally unfair to the other parent and may be totally unfair as far as "justice" is concerned. However the child's best interest comes first.

 

[Just Blue]

Come on here....lets be realistic....lets assume a GAL or the equivalent is involved.

MOM DID WRONG....there is no doubt about that.

However this child is 11 years old and is living in another country....and has been for the last 8 years. Obviously any court is going to make a "best interests" decision.

Can you imagine a US court deciding to return a child to another country after 8 years? I can't. I can imagine a US court giving visitation to the parent, with strict provisos...but I honestly can't imagine a GAL recommendation or determination that it was in the child's best interest to be transferred to another country after 8 years.

This isn't a simple thing....its huge and complicated and the child's best interest has to be paramount.

Personally...with a case like this one I don't care squat about either parent....I care about the child. Yes, she deserves to know her father....and spend time with her father..but for goodness sake this child has lived in the UK basically her entire life.

The UK courts are going to decide this one based on "best interest" just like the US courts would. And YES...best interest may be totally unfair to the other parent and may be totally unfair as far as "justice" is concerned. However the child's best interest comes first.

Mom should have a HUGE fine levied against her...something to punish her....
Poor dad...poor child...bit*h mom...

 

[nextwife]

However this child is 11 years old and is living in another country....and has been for the last 8 years.

My hubby was almost exactly the same age when he went to live in a different country - and he had to not only learn a new language, but a new alphabet as well. What happened to the idea that "getting to experience living in a different country and being exposed to different cultures" that I've seen posted in many threads in which CP WANTS to move their child out of the US for a period of time?

If the child had been abducted by a stranger and taken to England, and knew nothing else, would you state that they should stay because England was what they were used to, and this family was what they were used to? Why is it ok if the abductor happened to be Mom? Would you state that it would be too traumatic for the child to go live with their family in the US so they should stay with the abductor (presuming no abuse)?

England and the US are not that extremely different. Far less of a change than moving to a nation with an entirely different language and alphabet, like my husband did.

Allowing Mom to retain custody sends the WRONG signal to battling parents. It says if you can get to England and hide out long enough, it matters NOT what any prior CO stated about custody and removal from the country, because you will ultimately be rewarded for this by retaining custody...

 

[tigger22472]

LDIJ

I have to agree with nextwife on this. I have seen YOU numerous times tell non-custodial parents to allow their child to move out of the country because of the wonderful experience it would be for them.. blah blah blah.. yet here in a case where CLEARLY this was done to prevent the relationship in the first place it's "well, it's not in her best interest to move." Why is it that it's ok for American children to go and move to other countries with a parent but it's not ok for children not accustomed to American ways?