For some parents, sharing custody is a complete nightmare. They may face threats from the other parent of having their children withheld from them. The other parent may not return them on time or may make plans without talking them through.

You need to know that you have a right to speak up and reach out to the court if you are concerned about the welfare of your children. You have rights as a parent with visitation or custody of your children, and the other parent should not be violating those rights.

What are some signs that a parent may be planning to flee with their children?

There are cases where parents have been so dissatisfied with their cases that they’ve turned to kidnapping. Some red flags you can look for include:

• Sudden plans to go out of state or out of the country
• Sudden requests for passports or travel documents
• Sudden requests for large amounts of information about your child’s schooling or medical care, which could be used to transfer them to other facilities
• Another parent’s deep dissatisfaction with the current custody schedule
• The other parent threatening to withhold custody or hide your children
• The other parent picking up your child from school or other activities without permission to do so

What should you do if your children may be missing?

Don’t delay in calling for help. It’s better to make a mistake and to involve the police than to wait too long to get help. If you are concerned about some red flags but still have your children in your care, your attorney may be able to help.