Custody & Kidnapping

NOTE TO STUDENT: THIS WAS WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO SPECIFIC FACTS - IF SOMETHING DOESN’T APPLY, TAKE IT OUT.
Under a law called the Uniform Child Custody and Jurisdiction Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), custody orders are generally valid from state to state. However, I can’t speak to whether or not the police would intervene if he violated the order since often times, police will tell you that it is a civil matter and to take the person back to court for violating it. I don’t know how the police in your case will respond. Perhaps you may decide to call ahead of time to speak to the one in his county to ask what would happen if he kept the children - to see whether or not they would intervene. Perhaps they may ask for a certified copy of the order, for example, which may be something you can get from court ahead of time. You may also want to talk to your local court clerk or a local attorney about the process for filing for contempt in your court if he does violate the order. If you can arm yourself with information now, before a crisis happens, you may be able to act more calmly and quickly if something does go wrong. However, you have to do what you think is best for your situation - if you think your husband may find out you are contacting local police by him and that may endanger your safety or your children’s, then you need to do what you think would keep you safe.

Here is a link for local lawyers in both states: LINK