The Hague Convention, a multilateral treaty between Australia and several other countries, is in force. It allows abducted children to return home in a legal manner. It allows parents to contact their children abroad and provides access to them. You can request the return of your child via the Australian Central Authority if you feel your child was wrongfully taken from Australia or held in an overseas Hague Convention country without consent. The Australian Central Authority will review your request and coordinate your return with the Central Authority in the country where your child was taken.
You may have suspicions that the other party might be planning to move out of state or interstate without your consent. In such cases, you may need to apply to the Family Court to obtain interim orders to stop the other party from moving, while final orders are made.Family Dispute Resolution is required before you can apply to the court to obtain parenting orders. However, in urgent cases, this requirement may be waived.
If you have a Court Order that your children live with you, and they have not been returned to you, you should first talk to the other parent to try and reach an agreement on the return of the children or you can hire child custody lawyers too.
