Texas Attorney – International Child Custody Case
Recently, San Antonio mother, Natalie Baker went into hiding with her two children based on the fear that her husband would take them to the United Arab Emirates.
The San Antonio Express-News reported that the woman was in the middle of a divorce, and a Texas state judge ordered that the children be brought to his court. The mother refused and in response the judge ordered a capeas order, which has similar weight to an arrest warrant in a criminal case. The capeas order is for law enforcement to bring her to him to answer why she won’t comply with the order.
KSAT 12 News interviewed our attorneys, Jamie Graham and Sarah Ann Lishman about the case. They explained they do not know Natalie Baker’s and her two sons’ whereabouts. She went into hiding after losing an appeal to move the custody case from Dubai to Bexar County. She is not trying to deprive her husband of his custody rights. She is attempting to prevent her children’s forcible removal to Dubai because she fears she will lose all rights as a mother and never see them again.
The Bakers worked as diplomats for the U.S. State Department for the past two years in the United Arab Emirates, but they maintain a legal residence in Bexar County. However, the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) states that where the child resided for the past six months is the “home state.” Even so, the UCCJEA also states that the state can change “home states” when another country’s laws violate fundamental principles of human rights.
Generally speaking, courts in the United Arab Emirates do not grant equal rights to mothers and fathers. They always favor the father and grant the father custody rights.
Our attorneys at Jamie Graham & Associates, PLLC handle international custody cases, which have become increasingly common in our mobile society. If you face custody issues, it is important to have a skilled and experienced lawyer who can help protect your rights.