In cases where a child abduction or a wrongful withholding has occurred, the parent seeking return of the child must act quickly through their local child custody lawyers. There is a clock ticking, and it starts once a parent knows the location of the abducted or wrongfully withheld child, of twelve months.

After the 12 month point, there is a presumption that the child has become settled, has bonded with the abducting parent and that removal at that point will NOT be in the child’s best interests. This can be overcome, but it makes the child custody battle that much harder.