In cases where the father has custody of a child, the mother is guaranteed visitation rights. It has been the experience of the Embassy in Amman that the father and the paternal grandparents of the child are generally very open and accommodating in facilitating the right of the mother to visit and maintain contact with the child. Custody orders and judgements of foreign courts are not enforceable in Jordan if they potentially contradict or violate local laws and practices. For example, an order from a U.S. court granting custody to an American mother will not be honored in Jordan if the mother intends to take the child to the United States and live outside of Jordan. Nor will Jordanian courts enforce a U.S. court decree ordering a parent in Jordan to pay for child support since Jordanian law states that the parent with custody is responsible for providing financial support for the child.
Child abduction is a serious offense in Jordan.
Any person who abducts a child in order to deprive the legal guardian of custody faces a prison sentence of three months to three years and a fine. This applies equally to a parent committing such an offense in order to unlawfully obtain custody of a child. A mother may also face serious legal difficulties if she attempts to take her children out of Jordan without the permission of the father. Border officials may ask to see such permission in writing before allowing children to exit. Jordan has not acceded to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and Jordanian lawyers familiar with the country's child custody laws do not believe Jordan is likely to do so.