My child has been wrongfully retained abroad - what should I do?

There are several steps you should take:

Calmly contact your ex by text or email, to convince them to return the child home. Make sure you keep these communications as evidence.

If the child has been wrongfully retained in your ex’s country, and that country is a signatory to the Hague Convention, proceedings can be brought for the child’s return. The Hague Convention aims for the prompt return of abducted children to their country of habitual residence.

Contact the charity Reunite, who specialise in international child abduction cases, for advice and support. They will be able to recommend a child abduction specialist.

Do not wait too long to begin legal proceedings for the return of the child. The longer you wait to start court proceedings the more difficult it may become to convince a court that your child should be returned back to the country they were previously living in.

Legal aid is available for cases of abduction from the UK, depending on an assessment of financial means and the merits of the case.