Parental Consent For International Travel

Summary

The users ex-partner planned an international trip with their children without the users knowledge or consent. The user was informed about the trip when the children were already on their way to the airport. The user was advised that in New Jersey, both parents consent is generally required for international travel with minors. Without consent, this could potentially be considered as parental kidnapping. The user was also advised to document all instances of poor communication and decisions affecting the children, consult with Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ) for free legal aid, and consider formalizing a custody agreement through the family court system in New Jersey.

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right now we share custody we are not officially divorced we are trying to maintain a healthy relationship and avoid arguments, however yesterday I found out he planned a secret trip without telling me and he feels he can do that when I tried telling him he cant
What does your custody agreement specifically state about international travel with the children?

In NJ, generally, both parents' consent is required for international travel.
Their flight was yesterday and I didn’t know until after they were on their way to the airport already what do I do in a situation like that
Did you give any form of consent, written or verbal, for this trip? In NJ, both parents' consent is usually required for international travel with minors.
no I wasn’t even aware that my kids were going with him until after they were already on their way to the airport
What is the duration of their trip? In NJ, without consent, this could potentially be considered as parental kidnapping.
After multiple phone calls yesterday requesting itinerary details he finally sent the flight details to me. It’s about a *.* weeek trip
What is the destination of their trip? In NJ, taking children out of the country without the other parent's consent can be considered parental kidnapping.
What do I do to make sure he knows that
What is your ex-partner's contact information? You may need to send a formal letter expressing your concerns and stating the legal implications of his actions.
and to make sure he doesn’t do such a thing again
What is your ex-partner's full name and address? This information is needed to send a formal letter expressing your concerns and stating the legal implications of his actions.
He claims that he merely mentione
What exactly did he mention and in what context?
he claims he mentioned he is interested in visiting but he never said he would take both my boys
What is the destination country of their trip? This is important as different countries have different rules regarding child abduction and custody disputes.
I’m not sure how much I’d want to escalate
What is your main concern: ensuring this doesn't happen again or taking immediate action for this instance?
if he would’ve told me in advance at least a few days , maybe I would t have been as upset
What is your main goal now? Do you want to take legal action or just ensure this doesn't happen again in the future?
ensure this doesn’t happen again
What is your ex-partner's full name and address? This information is needed to send a formal letter expressing your concerns and stating the legal implications of his actions.
If a letter were to be sent to him, who would to come from ?
The letter would typically come from your attorney or the court, depending on the situation. Can you clarify the purpose of the letter?
To ensure that he is aware that I must give permission or consent before he plans trips with my kids.
What is the current custody arrangement between you and your ex-partner?
we don’t have a formal arrangement we work it out amoungst ourselves.
Have you considered formalizing your custody arrangement through a court order to avoid such issues in the future?
Yes
What is your location so I can provide the contact details of the nearest court for you to formalize your custody arrangement?
His address in which the letter can be sent to
What is the address where the letter should be sent?
Or maybe to give me some time to think about this , you can just provide the court details we live in Bergen county nj
The nearest court to you in Bergen County, NJ is the Bergen County Courthouse. Their contact details are:

- Address: * Main St, Hackensack, NJ *
- Phone: (*) *-*
thank you
You're welcome! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.
will do
Have you consulted with a lawyer about formalizing your custody arrangement?

General Information:
- In New Jersey, a court order can provide clarity in custody matters.
- Bergen County Courthouse: * Main St, Hackensack, NJ *, Phone: (*) *-*.
I thought maybe we didn’t need to consult a lawyer and could just agree on things on our own. Avoiding lawyer fees was another factor.
Are you aware that in New Jersey, you can file for custody without a lawyer through the family court? It's called "pro se" or "self-represented" litigant.
Ok, thank you
You're welcome! If you need more information about the process of filing for custody in New Jersey, don't hesitate to ask.
Depending on how things pan out after they come home from this trip I will think of what the best option for us will be.
What is the expected date of their return from the trip?
sept *
What actions do you plan to take if your ex-partner continues to plan trips without your consent after their return?
only two days before school starts for my youngest which is definitely not how I would’ve planned a trip like this had I been told
What is the age of your youngest child? In New Jersey, truancy laws may apply if a child misses school due to non-emergency travel.
he won’t miss his start date, however he may just be a bit tired - not ideal!
Are there any specific legal actions you're considering if your ex-partner continues to plan trips without your consent?
I will have to look into formalizing an arrangement
What type of custody arrangement are you considering - joint custody, sole custody, or another arrangement?
Either sole or joint
Are there any specific reasons you're considering sole custody? It's important to note that courts generally favor joint custody unless there's a compelling reason not to.
He doesn’t take into consideration what the right way of doing things wound be
What specific actions or decisions has he made that you believe are not in the best interest of your children?
for instance this trip
What are your concerns about this trip that make you believe it's not in the best interest of your children?
its simply wrong to now tell me I am their mother
What specific aspects of this trip do you believe are not in the best interest of your children?
timing
What are the potential negative impacts of the timing of this trip on your children?
he is irresponsible with his decision making
Can you provide specific examples of his irresponsible decision making that negatively impacts your children?
he doesn’t think it’s important to speak to me prior to planning
What are the potential consequences of his lack of communication on your children's well-being?
A lot
What specific consequences are you referring to that could affect your children's well-being due to his lack of communication?
Overall it affects everything from relationships to discipline, safety, forming good or bad habits
What specific incidents or examples can you provide where his actions have negatively impacted your children's relationships, discipline, safety, or habit formation?
he encourages the my sons to hang up on me if I ask a question over the phone that he doesn’t want them to answer
What is the age of your sons and how often does this happen?
* and *
What impact does this behavior have on your relationship with your sons?
when it’s just me and them, we are fine but when he is around them they will not be so kind
How does this change in behavior affect your sons' emotional well-being?
which is absolutely not how they’ve been growing up
Can you provide more details about the changes you've noticed in your children's behavior and how it's affecting their upbringing?
Respect has never been an issue before - however now all of a sudden my little 13 year old is keeping certain things from me ( obviously at the direction of his dad)
What kind of things is your *-year-old keeping from you?
rhis trip
this trip
What steps have you taken so far to address this issue with your ex-partner?
He likes to ignore or avoid answering questions where he knows he will look to be at fault
when I address the issue with him, he tried to avoid responding
What specific actions have you taken to address this issue with your ex-partner?
I’ll make time to speak to him but he’ll try to day he has to honor take another call - or make any excuse he can to not address the issue
if I make time to speak to him and I bring up the issue at hand he will try to some how get out of the conversation
What steps are you considering to ensure your ex-partner communicates with you effectively about decisions involving your children?
by saying he has to leave the call or chat or some other excuse
What steps have you taken to document these instances of poor communication and decision-making?
I guess I should start documenting
they are very frequent
I haven’t been documenting all his instances of bad communication, parenting, or inappropriate actions. I will have to do so from now on.
I haven’t been documenting all his instances of bad communication, parenting, or inappropriate actions. I will have to do so from now on
I have not been documenting any of the instances.
What kind of instances are you referring to that you haven't been documenting?
may I kindly ask who I am speaking to again?
You're speaking with FreeLawChat. We provide free legal information. How can I assist you further with your legal issue?
How can I prepare for formal arrangement and agreement? Document as much as I can?
Yes, documenting all instances of poor communication and decisions that affect your children's well-being can be helpful in court. What kind of formal arrangement are you considering?
I don’t like that my kids don’t listen sometimes and are influenced by their dad to ignore what I say to them. I parent a certain way. So if the behaviors continue then I may have to consider an arrangement where I have full custody or we have a schedule of what days/times he can stay with him, and he must agree to always let me know where they are.
What specific behaviors of your children are you concerned about that are influenced by their father?
the fact that he planned a trip and didn’t tell me and encourage them to keep it from me as well so red flag.
What actions have you taken so far to address this issue with your ex-partner?
Anytime he does anything I don’t agree with I try to bring it to his attention, the issue is that he doesn’t feel he is in the wrong when he actually is.
What steps have you taken to address this issue legally?
i don’t know what steps I should take
What is your main goal in this situation - to prevent such trips in the future, to gain full custody, or to formalize a custody agreement?
My main goal in this situation - to prevent such trips in the future, to possibly gain full custody, or to formalize a custody agreement. I think having some kind of formal schedule or agreement can help. He won’t feel like he can just do whatever he wants .
What steps have you taken so far to formalize a custody agreement?
after my conversation with you I now know I’d have to file through a family court, is that correct?
Yes, that's correct. In New Jersey, custody arrangements are formalized through the family court system.
mean while a letter being sent to him regarding his actions for this trip may help with the documenting process.
What is the content you plan to include in the letter?
He needs to know that in NJ it is considered kidnapping to plans tripnoutsode the country without the other parents consent.
What is the current status of your children's passports? Are they with you or your ex-partner?

General Information:
- In New Jersey, both parents' consent is required for a minor's passport application.
- Unauthorized international travel with a minor can be considered parental kidnapping.
Am I speaking to the same person I was * minutes ago?
Yes, you are still speaking with FreeLawChat. How may I assist you further with your legal issue?
who should the letter come from
The letter should ideally come from you or your attorney, stating your concerns and the legal implications of his actions.
what if I can’t pay for an attorney right now
what are my options if I need to avoid high lawyer fees
You can consider legal aid services, pro bono programs, or self-representation. In New Jersey, you can access legal services at Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ). Their contact: *-*-LSNJ-LAW.
Ok, thank yoi
Are you considering applying for legal aid or representing yourself in court?

General Information:
- Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ) provides free legal aid.
- Contact: *-*-LSNJ-LAW.
Thank you. Legal aid.
What is your financial situation? Depending on your income, you may qualify for free legal aid services in New Jersey.
I have been working on trying to get employed after spending some time with the family/ kids
What type of employment are you seeking and how might this impact your ability to care for your children?
so far I’ve been fine
What kind of job are you looking for and how will it affect your availability for your children?
if anything it will help more
How do you believe your potential employment will benefit your situation, especially in terms of caring for your children?
more independence like I’m used to
What type of job are you seeking and how will it contribute to your independence?
I think it’s obvious
What specific steps are you taking to secure employment and how will this impact your financial situation?
actively applying to open roles
What type of roles are you applying for and how do you think this will affect your custody case?
Why would it matter
Your employment status can impact a custody case as courts consider the ability of a parent to provide for their child. Are you seeking full-time or part-time employment?
We are still technically married
Are you considering filing for divorce or are you looking to resolve your issues while remaining married?
not sure what the best route would be for us
What are the main issues in your marriage that are making you consider divorce?
his lack or working together when parenting
What specific instances can you provide where his lack of cooperation in parenting has negatively impacted your children or your relationship with them?
or making financial decisions
What specific financial decisions has he made that you disagree with?
He has a business which he was able to get with my assistance we applied for it - a franchise business as a married couple
What is the current financial arrangement regarding the franchise business you both applied for as a married couple?
he acts as if it’s just his
What is the financial agreement you both had when starting the franchise business?
Verbally
What specific terms were agreed upon verbally regarding the ownership and profits of the franchise business?
we we’re to run it together and pay for our bikes and expenses together
What is the current status of the franchise business and how are the profits being distributed?
he is not including me in much of it - which is wrong
What specific actions has he taken that make you feel excluded from the franchise business?
he won’t share financial information
mid we separate or divorce he feels like I should just get another job to support myself but I feel like it
What is the current financial arrangement between you and your spouse regarding the franchise business?
he avoids making any arrangements with me
What specific financial arrangements are you seeking regarding the franchise business?
I am looking to protect my rights on all aspects as a parents and spouse
What specific rights as a parent and spouse are you looking to protect?
all
What specific actions or decisions has your spouse made that you believe infringe on your rights as a parent and spouse?
he has so be lawful and follow the law
he has to be lawful and follow the rules
What specific rules or laws do you believe your spouse is not following?
I gave you many examples in just this chat
I provided plenty of examples in this chat
What specific steps are you planning to take to ensure your rights as a parent and spouse are protected?
What should I do?
what should I do ?
What is your main priority right now - addressing the custody issue, the secret trip, or the financial matters related to the franchise business?
overall there’s a lot of different issues to address
What is the most pressing issue you would like to address first?
the consent issue - the trip
What specific actions are you considering to address the consent issue related to the trip?
Considering all information provided what do you advise ?
considering all the information I provided to you in this chat, what do you advise I do?
Based on the information provided, it seems advisable to:

*. Document all instances of poor communication and decisions affecting your children.
*. Consult with Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ) for free legal aid.
*. Consider formalizing a custody agreement through the family court system in New Jersey.
Thank you for your helpful guidance and information
You're welcome! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.
What are your thoughts on some of his behavior?
As a legal information provider, I can't provide personal opinions. However, if his actions are negatively impacting your children or infringing on your rights, it's advisable to seek legal advice.