blog home Child Allocation Actress Asks the Federal Government to Help Get Her Children Back

Actress Asks the Federal Government to Help Get Her Children Back

By Leslie Fineberg on May 11, 2015

“Gossip Girl” star Kelly Rutherford famously lost custody to both of her children, aged 8 and 5, to her ex-husband. He is a German businessman who moved the children to France and then later moved them to Monaco, where they now have citizenship. Since he no longer had a visa to travel to the United States, the children were deported to live with him. According to her attorney, this decision is unprecedented and no child who was born and raised in the United States should be deported from the country where his or her mother resides.

According to a New York Post news report, the actress is now taking her custody battle to the White House. She has filed a petition with whitehouse.gov and is seeking a federal order to allow her children to move back to the United States. She says it is a political issue now and that her children should never have been deported. Her supporters believe that the children were deported because the father said he could not return to the United States. However, there is no evidence as to why he can’t return or that he even applied for a visa to return.

Custody negotiations often involve moving children to different cities and even different states, but they rarely become some complicated that children are actually deported to other countries. This is a complicated issue that deserves attention.

If you are going through a divorce, it is crucial that you receive skilled legal guidance during the proceedings so that your best interests are protected. Unless you are careful, your spouse could be allowed to move your child out of Chicago and even out of Illinois. It is possible for a non-custodial parent to go to court to prevent a child from leaving the state, but it is also possible for a custodial parent to receive approval for a big move.

If you wish to move your child out of the State of Illinois, you must either have the agreement of the other parent or an order of the court permitting removal. The court will review why the custodial parent wants to move and if that relocation results in a real benefit for the child.

If you are involved in a custody battle, make sure you receive guidance from an experienced Chicago child custody lawyer throughout the proceedings. No loving parent should have his or her visitation rights wrongfully stripped away.