Child Custody Battles Out of Country?

Aug 17, 2011 22:33

Setting: modern day United States Minnesota and Ireland, year 2001 ( Read more... )

~law (misc), ~custody & social services, ireland (misc)

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lilacsigil August 18 2011, 09:56:26 UTC
Any accusations of abuse will be taken seriously in that the claims will be investigated. Is there any corroborating evidence? Does anyone other than the sister have anything to say about it? Her bringing up the charges at this late stage might be seen as a way of trying to get custody; they might also be seen as the first time she's needed to make these claims, if she was previously not in contact with her father. Abuse towards their mother may not be relevant; abuse of the kids will be.

Generally, by the age of 11 the boy will have some say in the matter. In an international case, though, it's more likely that the courts will rule in favour of keeping their citizen with his citizen guardian. Then again, the daughter would have citizenship, too!

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serria August 18 2011, 13:51:15 UTC
As far as I've plotted atm, no accusations of abuse have been made until now. Actually, my hope here is that the charges would not be taken as seriously because they are seen as trick to get custody.

Right - my psychologist mother said that 11 is a trickier age. Usually kids in their teens have a lot more say in who they want to live with, but 11 is at an in between age and might be considered a bit young to make a decision. Ultimately, I do want the sister to gain custody again so maybe the boy wanting to go back to her might be something I could have the court consider.

Hmm, I was under the impression that by age 21, children with dual citizenship had to "pick" one or the other. (The sister is about 22) Though now that I'm Googling it now, I can't yet find information about it so maybe I've made that up.

Thanks. :)

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clarice August 18 2011, 16:41:02 UTC
US dual citizens from birth are not forced into picking and renouncing at any point. Laws forbidding dual citizenship were struck down as unconstitutional decades ago. Renouncing foreign citizenship is part of the naturalization process for new US citizens, but many countries don't recognize it (they require citizens to take different, official measures if they wish to renounce citizenship) and the US does not require new citizens to take those official steps to renounce foreign citizenships.

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scribefigaro August 19 2011, 02:57:26 UTC
Indeed. The policy of the US State Department is to not recognize dual citizenship, in the sense that anyone who is a US citizen is treated as a US citizen and only a US citizen by the USA regardless of any other citizenship held by that person.

It is further policy that citizenship cannot be revoked, but can only be voluntarily surrendered. Surrendering US citizenship because it is required to obtain citizenship of another country is considered coerced and invalid and the US State department will not recognize the person as a non-citizen. Many other countries have similar laws.

As snakeling says, one country cannot force another country to confer or revoke citizenship, because Country A cannot write and enforce laws in Country B.

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snakeling August 18 2011, 19:39:17 UTC
Citizenship is a privilege conferred by a country upon whomever they want, and no country has any say in how another country should confer citizenship.

Country A may say that their citizens are not allowed dual citizenship until they're blue in the face, if Country B decides that a citizen of Country A is eligible for B citizenship, then this A citizen will get a B citizenship.

Countries that demand that people renounce their citizenship upon naturalisation are actually infringing on another country's law.

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lilacsigil August 18 2011, 21:56:58 UTC
Dual citizenship rules vary by country - not everywhere makes you choose, but I don't know about those two countries in particular.

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marymac August 18 2011, 22:02:55 UTC
Ireland is fine with dual citizenship. Otherwise there'd be a very awkward situation for children of cross-border marriages. And in fact anyone born in Northern Ireland before 2005.

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