When a custody arrangement is in place, it’s not legal to take your child away from the other parent without permission in most cases. You cannot flee the country or move without addressing custody-related concerns unless you have permission from the courts.
If you decide to take custody matters into your own hands, you could face serious consequences like this man. He has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for hiding his daughter in Florida. He faced domestic violence and custody interference charges.
In this case, he did not take his child from the mother but instead of the Department of Human Services. The 7-year-old girl was taken by her father and mother despite being held while domestic violence charges were pending against her father.
It’s not clear why or how the father got back in touch with his wife, but he did admit that he had strangled his wife to the point of passing out. He also shoved his daughter when she tried to help her mother. After the incident, the little girl was taken into custody by the Department of Human Services while the case was pending against her father.
Cases like this are complicated. There’s no reasoning for why the mother and father fled with the girl in the above case. If you flee with your child when he or she is meant to be in someone else’s custody, a case can be made against you and your future custody rights could be impacted. Your attorney can give you more information about child custody and the impact taking a child without permission has on your rights as a parent.
Source: Ashland Daily Tidings, “Man gets 14 months for hiding daughter in Florida,” Nick Morgan, May 23, 2017
