When two parents are unmarried or have gotten divorced, one of the biggest challenges they face going forward is figuring out an effective and fair custody arrangement for their children. In many cases, each parent wants to have as much time as possible with their children, which can make it very difficult to find a fair and agreement solution.
Many moms and dads in California have to share custody with another parent. And while it can be an emotional and challenging process, it is crucial that each parent complies with a court-ordered child custody or visitation arrangement. If a parent fails to do this, he or she could be looking at some serious consequences.
For example, authorities recently issued a warrant for the arrest of a woman who violated court orders by bringing her child to California without the father’s knowledge or permission. The father says that the mother took the child from Wisconsin, where they lived, to move to California for a job opportunity and told the father that he could join them eventually.
However, that all happened in June 2010. More than a year later, the father was still unable to locate the mother in California and believed that she and their child had gone to Mexico. He contacted authorities who have charged the mother with interfering with child custody of another parent.
Parents who make decisions like the one this mother is accused of making could be putting the health, safety and best interests of their child in danger. Custody and visitation arrangements are put in place specifically to protect a child, so violating these orders can have a profound and negative effect on a son or daughter. Rather than take matters into your own hands when it comes to adjusting these schedules, parents in California may want to consider working with an attorney who can help them navigate the process of modifying or enforcing custody.
Source: Beaver Dam Daily Citizen, “Warrant issued for woman who allegedly took child to California, didn’t let dad have visitation,” Trista Pruett, Jan. 22, 2014