The Hague Convention only works when both countries involved have adopted it. Where the country to which a child has been removed is not a Hague signatory, the left-behind parent must rely on the alien country law, often to no avail. The best approach to international child abduction is prevention. Couples contemplating international marriages should take legal advice prior to the marriage to arrange for pre-nuptial agreements in the event that the marriage does not succeed. Where an international couple contemplates divorce, early legal consultation should be obtained on the international child custody and support issues.
Many countries require written permission of both parents before a child can be removed abroad.
In the United States, where there is a threat of abduction, the passport office should be notified, and steps should be taken to protect the child's passport. Not uncommonly, a child of an international marriage will have dual citizenship and may have two passports, which is a greater complication. Because of the prevalence of international abduction, it is becoming more difficult for one parent to remove a child abroad from Illinois. Needless to say, it is not impossible. The material presented here is for informational use only.