A case with a foreign element: the first alert

Don't assume the rules are the same

Parental responsibility, contact and which court has jurisdiction can look different from country to country. That's why separate country sections and local verification of sources are needed.

When to raise the alert

• the child lives abroad,
• the parents live in different countries,
• a ruling was issued in another country,
• the child has been taken or kept abroad,
• the case concerns the recognition of a ruling.

What to do

Write down the country, the dates, the documents, where the child is staying and your questions for a lawyer. Don't assume that a message template from your own country fits the local law.

Status

This is a warning map, not advice on a cross-border case.