A federal court in Florida ruled last week that a 20-month-old baby girl will be returned to her mother in Okinawa, Japan. The court made its decision under the Hague Convention, a cross-national agreement designed to prevent parental kidnappings. This is the first decision to benefit Japan since 2014, when Japan agreed to join the treaty.
When can grandparents get custody of their grandchildren?
The majority of Florida grandparents want to see their grandchildren as much as possible. Most parents readily support these visitation opportunities, especially because grandparents can serve as extra babysitters, give rides to their grandkids, and even help out financially with childcare expenses.
Parental abduction laws
Violating a child custody order can result in a charge of parental abduction against the parent who absconds with his or her child. It might seem innocent enough to a parent who takes the child -- or the legal violation may even seem justified on a moral level -- and this is why these cases tend to happen.
Virtual visitation in Florida: What you should know
Since the advent of the internet, Florida parents can visit with their children via a lot more ways than the telephone and in person. Indeed, parents can call on Skype, chat on Facebook and spend time with their children "virtually" through different internet-based platforms.
Establishing a father's paternity rights
A long time ago in Florida, when times were different and medical advances had not reached the level they're at today, it was difficult -- if not impossible -- for a father to go to court and prove the was the biological father of his children. These days, however, a father can prove his paternal identity through blood and DNA tests.
