A Hanover man was recently granted custody of and reunited with his daughter eight years after she was abducted by her mother and taken to the Philippines. In 2004, Kyle Hogan and his ex-wife did not have a clear custody arrangement when she took their daughter to the Philippines and refused to return. Even though Mr. Hogan knew where his daughter was and even arranged some visits, she was out of his reach.
Mr. Hogan’s experience is not rare. Each year, hundreds of thousands of children are reported missing, with over 200,000 kidnappings per year perpetrated by family members. Fortunately, unlike Kyle Hogan’s experience with his daughter, most victims are returned within hours.
We hope that parents will learn to handle their custody disputes within the courts, which are tasked with the job of balancing the interests of father, mother and children.
In Mr. Hogan’s case, he was awarded custody in 2006 by default, when his wife did not appear to any of the custody hearings. This judgment enabled the rest of the process, which led to the eventual return of his daughter, including the warrant for his wife’s arrest, and the involvement of police, state and federal agencies.
As Kyle Hogan noted, he knew that, “re-abduction is not the answer.” His adherence to the law, combined with his attendance and participation in all the relevant court proceedings, led to the happy conclusion of his story.
Hogan’s experience is a lesson about the importance of participation in the legal process, even though it appears both slow and intricate. At Huesman, Jones & Miles, LLC in Hunt Valley, MD, we guide our clients through the child custody process in order to make sure their rights are protected while minimizing the level of conflict. If you or someone you know needs support and guidance from an experienced Baltimore child custody lawyer, call us today at (443) 589-0150 or contact us online.
