The Hague Convention is an international treaty, to which a number of countries, including Australia, are signatories.

For matters concerning children who have been wrongfully removed from and/or retained outside their country of habitual residence, arrangements can be made under the treaty between the contracting countries for their safe return.  The Convention operates on the underlying premise that decisions about a child's wellbeing are best made in the country of their habitual residence.

Each country has established a central authority to deal with Hague Convention Applications, which in Australia is the Australian Government Attorney General’s Department.  These authorities act promptly and have extensive powers to ensure that children are safely returned to their country of residence.  That is not to say that children cannot be recovered from countries that are not a party to the Convention, however the process is often more convoluted, depending on where the child is currently located.

If your child is travelling to a non-Hague Convention country or has been wrongfully removed or retained outside of Australia, contact one of our team of top family lawyers and Accredited Family Law Specialists on 03 9804 0035 today.

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