Legal Question in International Law in Jordan

Getting My Children out of Jordan

I am trying to get my children out of

Jordan, but my exhusband wont

sign the passport renewal papers

for the kids, refusing to let them

leave. I am a US Citizen, My children

are also born in the US and are

Citizens, my ex is Jordanian/US, Is

there a way around needing his

signature or permission to leave, as

I want soo badly to go home with

my kids?


Asked on 6/19/09, 11:45 am

2 Answers from Attorneys

Maryam Abdallah Maryam Abdallah Law Firm

Re: Getting My Children out of Jordan

Which papers are you referring to? Is it the Jordanian passport or the US passport? Because if your kids are US citizens as well as you, it is the person who was originally granted custody over them who has the right to sign their related official papers! Were they originally in his custody as per a court order? Because if that is the case he can always issue a ban on their travel in Jordan & then they won't be able to leave even if they had passports! However, if you had the custody following the divorce, you have enough parenting authority over them to sign whatever papers yourself & nobody can stop you from taking your kids.. You should absolutely inform the US embassy as your kids are looked upon as US citizens, if all what's stopping them from leaving is merely a signature, embassies have different sorts of legal documents to issue to their citizens to facilitate their travel such as what is known as a "laissez-passer" document which would allow them to enter the country without passport.. again it all depends whether your ex has a custody verdict in his favor or not! If the answer is positive, you might have to challenge that verdict in Jordan before you can have back your kids in your custody again.

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Answered on 7/12/09, 11:18 pm

Re: Getting My Children out of Jordan

The children's best interests are at the root of the issue. Because they are US citizens, the US embassy is in the best position to help. They must apply US law, which is a determination of the best interests of the child. However, for a decision to have any binding effect, a US court of proper jurisdiction would have to issue the decision.

Please let me know if you have spoken with them. If you have (and they haven't helped), I could correspond with them to work something out.

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Answered on 6/23/09, 1:15 pm


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