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Legal Information: Arizona

Parental Kidnapping

Updated: 
December 12, 2023

What can I do if I think my spouse/ex will kidnap my child?

If you think your spouse/ex will abduct your child, you should immediately contact a lawyer who can help you try to prevent the abduction. For a list of legal resources, please see our Finding a Lawyer page under the Places that Help tab at the top of this page.

If you can convince a judge that your concerns are reasonable based on the facts, the court may take steps to prevent the other parent from abducting your child. If you and your child are in immediate danger, or if you have been threatened with harm by your spouse/ex, you may file an order of protection on behalf of your minor child and on behalf of yourself.  Please see our page on Restraining Orders for more information.

If you think that the other parent may try to take your child out of the country, you could ask the court to seize your child’s passport so s/he cannot leave the country.  See How can I keep the other parent from taking my children out of the country? for more information about international kidnapping.

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