Se Habla Español | Nous Parlons Français

Blog

You are here:

Diversity can create challenges in family law matters

On Behalf of | Jun 24, 2016 | Child Custody

Today, in Houston and the rest of the United States, there is an experience that many native-born folks might be having that they never thought they would. It’s culture shock. The phenomenon is something you might feel if you were to travel to another country and stay there for some extended period. You, being an outsider, might come to feel disconnected and out of sorts until you become acclimated.

However, it’s no secret that the U.S. is attracting people from other countries. Houston is home to an estimated 1.4 million foreign-born people. Many are from Mexico or Central America. There are many from India, too, drawn by opportunities in technology and other industries.

Where there are people there are relationships, and where there are relationships there is the chance of creating a family. It must be acknowledged, though, that there is also a chance that the family could break up. If one of the parents happens to be from a foreign country, that can lead to unique and complicated child custody situations.

Most readers are likely aware of cases in which the foreign parent has taken a child back to his or her country of origin. In some instances, the action happens even before there’s any suspicion that the marriage is in trouble and divorce is in the offing.

Understanding your parental rights and protecting them depends on working with experienced legal counsel. That’s because of the multiple levels of law that must be navigated. Texas has its family laws that spell out what parental rights exist, but so does the country of the other parent’s origin. There are also international treaties that may apply. In such matters, time is of the essence. This is something our firm is in a position to help with.