Usually, when people think about a kidnapping case, they envision strangers and ransom notes. However, most kidnappings in this country are done by the children’s own parents. Our Greenville private investigators are here to help if you believe that your ex-spouse has taken your children.
Can a Parent Be Accused of Kidnapping Their Own Children in South Carolina?
Believe it or not, a child’s parent can be charged with kidnapping if they run off with their children in an unlawful manner. If you and your ex-spouse share custody of your kids, they do not have the right to take your children without letting you know where they will be.
It’s important to remember that there is a difference between kidnapping one’s children and refusing to honor a custody agreement. In a true kidnapping case, the victim’s children are typically taken out of state or placed in hiding, their whereabouts unknown.
Has Your Ex Taken Your Children and Won’t Reveal Where They Have Gone?
Most of the parents that we represent have contacted us out of desperation. Many of them have already contacted the police and are told that there’s very little they can do to help. Thankfully, our private investigators in Greenville can help when nobody else can.
If you believe that your ex has taken your children without your permission, one of the first things you need to do is report it to the authorities. Even if they don’t take your allegations seriously, it will at least put them on notice that your children have indeed been taken.
The next thing you should do is call one of our experienced Greenville child custody investigators and schedule an emergency appointment.
Do You Share Joint Custody of Your Children?
It is usually easier to establish a kidnapping has occurred if you have joint custody of your kids. If you are only scheduled to see your children once or twice a month, it will be difficult to prove that your ex-spouse has done anything wrong.
If, however, you have shared custody and are supposed to have your children 50% of the time, it will be easier to demonstrate that your children may be in danger. The good news is that with parent abductions, the children are usually kept very safe. In fact, they are sometimes isolated to the point where they’re safer than most other children.
Your Private Investigator in Greenville Can Try to Track Down Your Children
One of the first things your private investigator in Greenville will do is try to track down your children. Of course, to do this, we must first track down the person who has taken them.
While it is usually your ex-spouse that absconds with your children, it can just as likely be a grandparent, friend, or another relative. Our Greenville child custody investigators have found that the other parent usually tries to deflect responsibility by having someone close to them take the children somewhere on their behalf.
Our Greenville Child Custody Investigators Have Special Skills and Tools at Their Disposal
Over the decades, our private investigators in Greenville have amassed a multitude of tools and special skills to locate people. While there is never a guarantee that we will find your children, the chances of finding them increase significantly if you hire an expert.
The investigators that work for our firm are trained in both old-fashioned detective skills as well as those using new technology. We can follow leads through social media, cell phone usage, and other location technology.
Our Private Investigators in Greenville Will Document Their Findings
Throughout the course of our investigation, our Greenville child custody investigators will keep track of everything we find. We will keep a running report of the attempts made to locate your children as well as the results.
It’s important that you have this documentation. If it gets to the point where you need to file criminal charges against the other parent, this documentation will be crucial. Our reports will also help you prove to the courts that your ex-spouse unlawfully held your children.
What Happens if We Locate Your Children?
It is a good problem to have when a client asks us what we will do when we find their children. Our ultimate goal is to locate your children safely and bring them back to you. However, the private investigators in Greenville that work on your case will not have the authority to do so.
Once we’ve located your children, we will alert the authorities and provide them with any location information we have found. We will also substantiate our findings with written documentation as well as any technological reports. Law enforcement can then use this information to retrieve your children and file any necessary charges against the other parent.
Your Greenville Child Custody Investigator Doesn’t Have the Power to Physically Remove Your Kids
As much as we wish we could, our Greenville child custody investigators simply do not have the legal authority to remove your children from the other parent’s custody. Even if the police and the courts have already established that there has been wrongdoing, you cannot take it upon yourself to rectify the situation.
As difficult as it will be, you must rely on the authorities to handle this matter. You should also speak with a child custody lawyer in Greenville to get a motion filed with the court immediately. This will help protect your children from ever being taken away from you again.
We Will Help Report Your Ex to the Authorities and Share Our Information With Law Enforcement
Any information that our private investigators in Greenville find will gladly be shared with you and the team helping to protect your children. This includes law enforcement as well as any legal professionals you have hired.
If you find yourself needing to file a motion with the family court, your attorney is welcome to use the information we have procured to prove your case. The same is true if law enforcement decides to arrest your ex-spouse and bring charges against them.
Contact One of Our Private Investigators in Greenville Immediately
If you suspect that your ex-spouse has kidnapped your children, every hour feels like a year. Our private investigators in Greenville have helped numerous clients track down their children.
Thankfully, we have the tools and the experience to not only find out where your children may be but also alert the authorities.
We suggest that you contact our office as soon as possible and schedule your initial consultation. You can sit down with one of our Greenville child custody investigators and find out what services we offer.
We understand that time is of the essence, and we’ll work tirelessly to bring your children back home.