Current data suggests that nearly one million California families are facing similar legal problems with regards to obtaining rightful support for their children. That is, there is approximately $17 billion worth of unpaid child support in this state alone. Many of these families, such as a mother of a 6-year-old boy, are trying to resolve problems that involve parents in other countries. This woman’s international situation began when her college romance died shortly after she told her lover she was expecting his child.
The woman was then a 27-year old college student at the University of California, Davis campus. During her time in school, she traveled to France. There, she met a much older man; in fact, one 20 years her senior. They parted as friends although an apparent romantic attraction had ignited between them. They kept in touch from afar.
At some point, the woman returned to Europe, and the woman and man became intimately involved. When she became pregnant, the relationship ended. She later filed a child support claim, citing the Hague Convention, a treaty that was signed in 2007; yet, the United States only officially joined last year. The treaty is meant to assist parents in custody or support situations that cross international borders.
The mother is now in her thirties, and her claim is one of the first in California to invoke the treaty to attempt to obtain child support from a parent in a foreign land. The results of this case will no doubt impact many others in this state and beyond. The competence and experience of a family law attorney can be a great asset to complicated situations, such as international custody or support problems.
Source: The Sacramento Bee, “Can California make a French dad pay for his kid? A test case is here”, Stephen Magagnini, April 24, 2018