If you are in search of an
abducted or missing person, this firm may be able
to assist in their safe and successful recovery.
We actively and aggressively undertake cases that
involve the retrieval of abducted, kidnapped,
lost, missing, retained and/or wrongfully removed
children in both the United States and other countries.
The firm retrieves children taken from foreign
countries, as well as, children taken into foreign
countries. Frequently, our procedures include
field investigations to assist in successfully
locating the missing child.
In cases within the
United States, the activity is primarily centered
upon the enforcement of the Uniform Child Custody
Jurisdictional Enforcement Law. It is typically
incorporated into the laws of the state where
the child is located, in conjunction with the
laws of the state where the child originated.
List
of Signatories to the Hague Convention on the Civil
Aspects of International Child Abduction as of
August 23, 2004. Party Countries and Effective
Dates with the U.S.
ARGENTINA - 1 June 1991
MALTA - 1 February 2003
AUSTRALIA - 1 July 1988
MAURITIUS - 1 October 1993
AUSTRIA - 1 October 1988
MEXICO - 1 October 1991
BAHAMAS - 1 January 1994
MONACO - 1June 1993
BELGIUM - 1 May 1999
NETHERLANDS - 1 September 1990
BELIZE - 1 November 1989
NEW ZEALAND - 1 October 1991
BOZNIA & HERZEGOVINA - 1 December 1991
NORWAY - 1 April 1989
BRAZIL - 1 December 2003
PANAMA - 1 June 1994
BURKINO FASO - 1 November 1992
POLAND - 1 November 1992
CANADA - 1 July 1988
PORTUGAL - 1 July 1988
CHILE - 1 July 1994
ROMANIA - 1 June 1993
CHINA (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
only) - 1 September 1997
Macau - 1 March 1999
SLOVAK REPUBLIC - 1 February 2001
COLOMBIA - 1 June 1996
SLOVENIA - 1 April 1995
CROATIA - 1 December 1991
SOUTH AFRICA - 1 November 1997
CZECH REPUBLIC - 1 March 1998
SPAIN - 1 July 1988
CYPRUS - 1 March 1995
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS - 1 June 1995
DENMARK - 1 July 1991
SWEDEN - 1 June 1989
ECUADOR - 1 April 1992
SWITZERLAND - 1 July 1988
FINLAND - 1 August 1994
TURKEY - 1 August 2000
FMR. YUGOSLAV REP. OF MACEDONIA - 1 December
1991
UNITED KINGDOM - 1 July 1988
FRANCE - 1 July 1988
* Bermuda - 1 March 1999
GERMANY - 1 December 1990
* Cayman Islands - 1 August 1998
GREECE - 1 June 1993
* Falkland Islands - 1 June 1998
HONDURAS - 1 June 1994
* Isle of Man - 1 September 1991
HUNGARY - 1 July 1988
* Montserrat - 1 March 1999
ICELAND - 1 December 1996
UNITED STATES - 1 July 1988
IRELAND - 1 October 1991
VENEZUELA - 1 January 1997
ISRAEL - 1 December1991
YUGOSLAVIA, FEDERAL REP. OF - 1 December 1991
ITALY - 1 May 1995
ZIMBABWE - 1 August 1995
LUXEMBOURG - 1 July 1988
NOTE: Convention
does not apply to abductions occurring prior to
the effective date.
If
the country that you are concerned with is not listed
above, there are other bodies of law which can be applied.
Frequently, it is necessary to utilize federal and state
criminal laws within the family law courts. However,
depending on the country involved, the use of criminal
laws can be inappropriate since some foreign countries
will not cooperate if criminal charges are pending.
Our
services are commonly engaged when law enforcement agencies
have exhausted their leads, abandoned the file, and/or
the United States Department of State has exhausted
their alternatives to assist you in the return of your
child. Law enforcement, governmental officials and other
non-governmental organizations may not offer the level
of experience this firm has attained and they may also
lack the ability and time it takes to deal with the
complexities of these types of cases.
The firm handles three categories of abduction cases:
Cases in which the two respective
countries have signed the “Hague Convention
on International Child Abduction”. In these
cases the abductor has either left the United States
(outbound) or has entered the United
States (inbound).
International cases in which
the “other” country has no treaty agreement
with the United States.
American interstate taking cases are those that
involve the taking of a child from one state in the
United States to another.
The first concern is and should always be the location
of the child to determine whether or not he or she is
safe and secure. If you are in search of a child, contact
this firm as soon as possible for additional, experienced
assistance. If you are currently working with
a law firm, we are happy to work in conjunction with
them.
The amount of fees
and costs will be determined after a discussion of the
facts of the case. Call 1-727-447-0533, our telephone
message system is on 24 hours, as well as, our fax machine
@ 1-727-446-3033. If you are outside of the United States,
first dial your international dial-out code, then 727-447-0533
for the telephone or 727-446-3033 for the fax. We work
regularly with non-English speaking clients so, if you
do not speak English, have your message translated into
English and this firm will arrange a conference call
with an interpreter. Please be sure to include your
phone number and address. Our e-mail address is mcberry@berrylaw.com.
