Custody

The answer to this question is very complicated and may depend on many different factors. If the other parent takes the children out of state or somewhere else in the state in violation of your rights to custody or visitation under a court order, you can file a petition for contempt of court.  If there is no custody order, some factors that may be considered are whether the parents are married (and considered to have equal parental rights) or, in the case of unmarried parents, whether the father’s paternity has been legally established.  Also, there could be a big difference if the other parent is planning a brief visit out of state, a long absence, or if s/he is planning on moving out of state for a long time.  You can find Connecticut’s custodial interference criminal laws on our Selected Connecticut Statutes page in the 2^nd degree and in the 1^st degree. However, these laws can be hard to interpret, it is important to talk to a lawyer who specializes in custody matters to find out if the other parent’s actions are legal or not.  See our CT Finding a Lawyer page for information about resources in your state.