International Child Custody Battles

Did you hear the good news today? A New Jersey father, David Goldman, has reportedly won a five-year long international child custody battle in the courtrooms of Brazil. Although appeals may delay a much deserved reunion, it has been reported that a Brazilian federal court has granted Mr. Goldman custody of his 9 year old son!

To briefly recap the facts, several years ago, Mr. Goldman's spouse had taken their son with her, supposedly for a vacation trip, from New Jersey to Brazil, (where she was from). Then, once there, she filed for divorce from Goldman. Later, after the divorce, she married another man in Brazil. Subsequently, she died. But her second husband then refused to turn over the little boy to his dad, Mr. Goldman. But now, after a long child custody battle, hopefully, Mr. Goldman will soon be allowed to bring his son home!

While every child custody case is different, this international child custody case illustrates the type of problems which might occur if your marriage to a foreign national dissolves. In such cases, it is imperative that you promptly contact a divorce attorney with experience in international child custody issues. For instance, you will want to research, with your divorce lawyer's help, whether the country to which your ex-spouse may be traveling, (with your child), is a party to international child custody (abduction) treaties or conventions. You will also need to carefully discuss a number of available strategies with your divorce lawyer.

Hopefully, you won't then have to endure the hardships faced by Mr. Goldman in getting back his son!