Your Child Was Taken Across Borders. Every Hour Matters.
International child abduction cases move faster than almost any other matter in family law. I have direct experience with Hague Convention proceedings, U.S. State Department coordination, and cross-border custody emergencies. If your child has been taken — or if you're facing a return petition — you need to act now.
When a Child Is Taken Internationally, the Clock Starts Immediately
These cases are unlike anything else in family law. The legal framework is international. The courts move on compressed timelines. And if you don't act fast, the situation can become significantly harder to reverse.
Your child has been taken to another country — or you've just been served with a Hague Convention petition to return your child
You don't understand how the treaty works, what your rights are, or what happens next
You're thousands of miles away from your child and don't know who can actually help
This is one of the most frightening situations a parent can face. You need someone who has been in these cases before and knows exactly how to move.
What's at Stake in an International Abduction Case
The longer a child remains in the country they were taken to, the more complicated the legal situation becomes. Courts consider habitual residence, the passage of time, and the child's adjustment to their new environment. Speed matters.
With Legal Guidance
Your child is returned quickly under a Hague Convention order
The child is allowed to remain in the United States under one of the exceptions to return the child to the country of habitual residence
Your parental rights are protected through the legal process
You have experienced legal representation coordinating across jurisdictions
Without Legal Guidance
Delays allow the other parent to establish new ties in the foreign country — making return harder
Missing filing deadlines or using the wrong legal process forfeits critical protections and defenses
A poorly handled defense leads to a return order that separates you from your child
Operating without counsel familiar with both domestic and international family law
Experience With the Cases Most Attorneys Have Never Seen
I understand the terror of having your child in another country and not knowing how the system works or who's going to help you. These cases feel impossible — but they are solvable, and the legal framework exists specifically to address them. My job is to move you through that framework as quickly and effectively as possible.
I have handled international child abduction cases involving coordination with the U.S. State Department, local District Attorney’s Office, foreign governments, and foreign courts. I've represented both petitioning parents seeking the return of a child and respondents defending against return orders. I understand the Hague Convention's requirements, timelines, and defenses — and I know how these proceedings move through the California superior court system.
Direct experience with Hague Convention proceedings in California
Cases involving U.S. State Department, local District Attorney’s Office, and foreign government coordination
Represented both petitioning and responding parents
Family law attorney since 2012 — based in San Diego, a border region with significant cross-border family law matters
Consulting Attorney, Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego
Bilingual — English and Spanish
Here's How We Move on Your Case — Fast
1
Contact Me Immediately
Time is the most critical factor in these cases. Reach out now — I'll assess your situation, explain exactly what legal process applies, and tell you what needs to happen in the next 24–72 hours.
2
File and Coordinate Across Jurisdictions
Whether we're filing a Hague petition, responding to one, or pursuing parallel domestic custody proceedings, I'll handle the filings, coordinate with the relevant authorities, and build the strongest possible case on your behalf.
3
Pursue the Fastest Path to Protecting Your Child
These courts move quickly by design. I'll make sure we're using every available mechanism to get your child home or protect your rights as efficiently as possible.
These cases are complex. But they have a legal structure — and I know how to work within it.
What to Know About International Child Abduction and the Hague Convention
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is an international treaty designed to secure the prompt return of children wrongfully removed or retained in a country that is not their country of habitual residence. The United States is a signatory, as are most of the major countries from which or to which children are most commonly taken. When a child is taken from the U.S. to a Hague signatory country (or vice versa), the left-behind parent can file a Hague petition seeking the child's return. The petition is filed in the courts of the country where the child is located. In the United States, these cases are heard in federal or state court on an expedited basis — typically within six weeks of filing. The standard for return is not "what's in the best interest of the child" in the traditional family law sense — it's whether the child was habitually resident in the petitioning country and whether the removal was wrongful under that country's custody laws. Defenses to return exist but are narrow: they include grave risk of harm to the child, the child's own objection (for older children), and whether the left-behind parent was not actually exercising custody rights. San Diego's location and the nature of its cross-border community means these cases arise with some regularity here.
Quick Facts
The Hague Convention applies when a child is taken to or from a signatory country
Hague cases in U.S. courts are heard on an expedited basis — typically within 6 weeks
The legal standard is habitual residence and wrongful removal — not "best interest" in the traditional sense
Defenses to return are narrow and specific
COMMON SITUATIONS
A parent takes a child from Mexico to the United States without the other parent's consent
You've been served with a Hague petition demanding the return of your child to another country
Your child was taken internationally and you don't know how to start the legal process
Why This Practice Area Requires Specialized Experience
Most family law attorneys have never handled a Hague case
The Hague Convention is a specialized area of international law. The procedural requirements, timelines, and available defenses are different from anything in a standard California family law case. Experience matters enormously here.
I've been on both sides
I've represented parents filing Hague petitions and parents defending against them. That dual perspective makes my case strategy sharper — I understand what the other side is going to argue before they argue it.
My location and relationships are an asset
San Diego is a border city. California is a destination to many international families. Cross-border custody cases are part of the fabric of family law here.
What Clients Say
Child Support
Mr. Aguilar helped me establish paternity and child support. My son was born out of wedlock and father refused to pay support. Father is self-employed and he does not report his earnings accurately to the IRS. Mr. Aguilar helped me show the court that my son’s father makes substantially more money than what he was reporting to the court. I really had no idea how to go about showing to the court that he was lying about his income. Once we established paternity, Mr. Aguilar also represented me in the custody and visitation aspect of this case and we were able to get a very favorable court order.
Molly
Frequently Asked Questions About International Child Abduction
The Hague Convention on International Child Abduction is a treaty that provides a legal mechanism for the return of children wrongfully taken across international borders. It applies when both countries are signatories and when the child was habitually resident in one country before being taken to another. Whether it applies to your specific situation depends on the countries involved and the custody status at the time of removal. Contact me immediately — this is the first thing we need to determine.
Faster than most family law proceedings. U.S. courts are required to handle Hague cases on an expedited basis — typically within six weeks of filing. That urgency runs in both directions: if you need to file, you need to file now. If you've been served, you have a very short window to prepare your response.
Yes. The defenses are narrow but real: grave risk of harm to the child, the child's own objection (if they're of sufficient age and maturity), whether the left-behind parent wasn't actually exercising custody rights, or whether the child has become settled in the new country after more than a year. I've successfully argued defenses in these cases. Whether a defense applies depends entirely on the facts.
Based in San Diego — Handling Cross-Border Cases Throughout California
San Diego County
Los Angeles County
Orange County
Riverside County
San Bernardino County
Imperial County
Northern California
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Ending a marriage is one of the hardest decisions you’ll face. I help clients in San Diego navigate it with honesty, clarity, and a strategy built around their situation — not a generic playbook.
LGBTQ+ families navigate the same legal challenges as anyone else — plus a few that are specific to their situation. I've been advocating for LGBTQ+ clients and their families in San Diego for over a decade, and I bring both legal knowledge and genuine understanding to every case.
International child abduction cases move faster than almost any other matter in family law. I have direct experience with Hague Convention proceedings, U.S. State Department coordination, and cross-border custody emergencies. If your child has been taken — or if you're facing a return petition — you need to act now.
Child and spousal support can be the most financially consequential part of a divorce or separation. I help clients in San Diego establish, negotiate, and modify support orders that are accurate, fair, and built to last.
International abduction cases are time-sensitive in a way few other legal matters are. I'll tell you exactly what applies to your situation and what needs to happen next — today, not next week.
This page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. International abduction cases are time-sensitive — contact an attorney immediately. Results depend on the specific facts of each case.
Bilingual family law support for people navigating divorce, custody, and protection orders in San Diego.
1420 Kettner Blvd., Ste. 300 San Diego, CA 92101 619-752-0125
The information on this website is for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Serving the following Southern California counties: San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino.
