Who has jurisdiction in child abduction cases?

If your child is abducted to another country, jurisdiction is a complicated matter. It depends first on what country the child has been removed to, as certain countries have international laws that will apply in those circumstances. If the child has been taken to a country that does not follow those international laws, it may be extremely difficult to have your child returned and you may have to go directly to that country. Otherwise, you can file under the Hague Convention and determine which country is the country of habitual residence of the child, which is simply where has the child lived for the past year.