“Can I Refuse to Consent to My Ex’s International Travel with Kids? What Happens If I Do? #TravelConsent #ChildCustody #LegalAdvice
Have you ever received a scare tactic letter from your ex regarding consent for international travel with your children? Are you wondering what to do if you refuse to give consent despite the threats of enforcement and attorney fees?
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Background: Ex’s Previous Travel and Current Request
– Ex traveled internationally in December 2023-January 2024 with your consent
– Ex now wants to travel again with kids on May 6, but you refused
2. Scare Tactic Letter: Understanding the Situation
– Ex served you with a letter demanding your notary signature within 48 hours
– Threatening enforcement and $1500 attorney fees if you don’t comply
3. Legal Implications: Your Options and Consequences
– Do you have to give consent under duress?
– What happens if you continue to refuse despite potential contempt charges?
4. Seeking Advice: How to Handle the Situation
– Consider consulting a legal professional for guidance
– Understand your rights and options before making a decision
Any insights or experiences to share on navigating this challenging situation would be greatly appreciated. Remember, you’re not alone in dealing with complex co-parenting issues like this. #CoParentingStruggles #LegalRights #ParentalConsent“
> sign the notary signature or else I will do an enforcement to make you sign and you will have to pay $1500 attorney fees. Within 48 hours you have to do this.”
This isn’t a direct quote, is it?
Get an attorney to represent you. This is going to get ugly.
You are not required to allow the children to travel out of the country and frankly, unless there’s a really good reason, I can’t imagine a family court wanting that to happen before custody issues have been resolved.
What is your reason for refusing this request?
> Does this basically mean I have no choice but to give her consent to travel with children?
No. A piece of paper she writes can’t do that.
You don’t give a location but if one parent doesn’t do what the other parents wants them to do, then they can go to family court about it. A judge will decide. You’ll get to present your reasons, she’ll get to present hers.
What are yours?
I would not sign and raise the issue with the judge that parental kidnapping to those countries is not uncommon and so you don’t want them to leave the country.
NAL but did travel internationally with kids after divorce.
Unless is it a court order (and I can’y imagine it is; it sounds like something she just typed up) it has no legal significance.
Are you both citizens of pakistan? I may be paranoid but any reason to worry she might go there and not come back?
You probably should disclose whether there is a court order and what it says about international travel
What does your court order say about consent for international travel?
I’d start there and be sure you have the ability to withhold consent if she’s not meeting something in the order or custody/visitation schedule. Maybe do a consult with a family law attorney and have them review the documentation and help you form your argument if you have one.
The US State Dept has a program to help prevent international child abduction. It’s not a guarantee, but it will help prevent her from leaving without your consent. While you are waiting for this to play out in the courts, it might be wise to register your children there.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/International-Parental-Child-Abduction/prevention.html
You have the info. Find a good lawyer. I’m a man and have represented myself only after having no more money for lawyers and I got shredded by one.
I would verify that the letter came from said Attorney, if this was given to you today it doesn’t give you much time to consult with your own Attorney.
You can find the Attorney who supposedly wrote this on the Internet, verify the address and phone number are correct. Call the office on Monday and tell them you are only calling to verify they represent your ex.
You should go back to Court and make stipulations on international travel, when it can occur, and for how long.
You don’t have to sign anything. She’d have to go to court and ask a judge to approve this trip with the kids. She’d be less likely to screw around and stay longer if a judge orders her to return within a certain timeframe.
I think you have a few reasons not to sign it, at least not without some strict stipulations in place.
Can you afford an unbundled lawyer? They can write up an agreement for you. They won’t represent you in court but they can come up with a contract that she’s more likely to abide by. It would avoid court fees, her lawyer’s fees and would watch out for yours and your kids’ interests. (I’m tired/groggy so I may edit this tomorrow if possible.) Shoot you may be able to convince her to pay the cost of your unbundled attorney if she wants to go on this trip badly enough…
(A good place to find solid family law attorneys is local FB mothers’ groups. They’re always giving recs for “bulldog” family attorneys. Just do a search in the search bar.)
If you’re 100% opposed to her leaving with the kids then you probably should hire an attorney once she takes you to court…
L’ lmk
A notary is a person that is able to represent the state as a witness to someone signing something, assuming you haven’t left any details out I don’t think you could find a notary on a weekend on short notice.
This doesn’t check out, get a lawyer, contest it, if she takes the kids anyway report it as a kidnapping and get her parental rights revoked permanently.
I’ve traveled extensively with my children, although admittedly not to Pakistan. At no time has anyone ever asked for a letter from my children’s father approving international travel. They can ask; they just haven’t.
So unless Pakistan is very strict it is quite likely that she can just get on a plane and go, with or without a letter from you.
I presume since she’a pakastani she visits family. It’s unlikely a judge would support you in stopping her from going over a runny nose. You can register with the state department but that’s the nuclear option.
Better would be to say you’ll sign in exchange for a make up in parenting time.
The letter is a lie. You do not have to respond until she actually takes you to court, but I would recommend consulting with an attorney to cover yourself.
Where are they going, and, why?
Unfortunately, you need to lawyer up yourself. And soon as well.
If she is preparing to move, you need to nip that in the butt before May.
In most states, in most cases who ever has physical custody before a court order has custody. Check your local laws.
There’s something amiss here with how you’re describing the divorce decree (in other comments) and the letter. You have a divorce decree that it sounds like does require you to provide the consents that countries require for the children to travel internationally. That’s different than the other way around: where your spouse is required to obtain (discretionary) consent from you in order to travel with the children.
The devil is in the details here of what has been already ordered and precisely what the letter says. You’ve interpreted both rather than providing enough information here so that people can actually give you suggestions.
Do not under any circumstances take anyone’s advice here saying you can or cannot do something because you haven’t provided enough information. Please, please get a lawyer. It’s not worth losing your kids over this because of a misstep and trying to save a couple thousand dollars.
Where I live, there is no way that a court would hear this case before May 6th.