Orlando Divorce and Family Law Attorney

• Hire an aggressive family law attorney, preferably one with experience in parental-kidnapping situations.
• If you have not already filed for divorce, DO SO IMMEDIATELY. File for divorce and full custody of the children.
• Assemble your documentation of court decrees and custody orders, if any. If you do not have custody, use the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, which established rules help courts determine jurisdiction, to petition for custody in the local family court.
• Ask local police to issue a warrant for the arrest of the kidnapping parent. Insist that a missing person’s report be posted immediately on National Crime Information Center and Interpol computers. Many local police departments will mistakenly tell parents that they need to see a final custody order before issuing a missing child report or that a waiting period is required, but this is no longer true. Such delays are prohibited by the National Child Search Assistance Act (P.L. 101-647; 42 U.S.C. 5779, 5780), which requires law enforcement to immediately enter a missing child report into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
• Contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE LOST or 703-235-3900. The Web address of its international branch is www.icmec.co.uk. The center maintains a missing children’s data base and publishes a booklet on preventing and reacting to abduction.
• Contact the local FBI office. If the FBI tells you that you first need a state warrant, point out that the 1993 International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act ended that requirement. Ask the state prosecutor or district attorney to request the local U.S. attorney’s to issue a federal Unauthorized Flight to Avoid Prosecution (UFAP) arrest warrant. The Federal Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act of 1980 provides for the issuance of this warrant. Once you have the UFAP warrant, ask the FBI to assist in the investigation and to use the services of the federal Parent Locator Service.
• Investigate possible civil remedies and consider the viability of a tort suit against the kidnapper, including anyone who may have assisted in the abduction.
• Use whatever information you have about the abducting parent in your investigation, such as names of family members or friends who may know of his or her whereabouts.
• If you suspect an international kidnapping, after you have the UFAP warrant, ask the FBI to request the U.S. Attorney’s office to have the passport of the kidnapping parent revoked. Call the State Department’s Office of Children’s Issues (1-202-736-7000), and request the booklet, “International Parental Child Abduction”. The booklet outlines what you should do and what the office can do for you. If you have to to litigate the matter in a foreign country, contact the State Department’s office of the Overseas Citzens’ Services of the Bureau of Consular Affairs for a list of attorneys available for such cases.

A museum for the mementos of broken relationships: http://www.brokenships.com/about.php

Florida Attorneys Saving Homes
Foreclosure Prevention Project
Self-Directed Intake Form

1. You must be a Florida resident.
2. The homeowner must be applying for help in the home that you live in.
3. The program assists applicants who are financially disadvantaged. Please read these instructions before completing an intake form:

• Complete ONLY one intake form.
• Completing more than one form will cause significant delays.
• Complete the entire form; if you do not complete the entire form there will be a long delay in processing your application. Once you have completed the form, please click “submit.” Your intake form will be reviewed and you will receive a series of communications:
• (1) The first letter you will receive from the program will tell you that we have received your application.
• (2) The second letter will inform you whether your application has been approved.
• Since the start of the Florida Attorneys Saving Homes project on June 25, 2008, the Florida Bar has received thousands of calls.
• Florida attorneys have volunteered their time to help homeowners in distress and more volunteer attorneys are signing up everyday, but the number of homeowners needing help is greater than our number of volunteers.
• Since this is a volunteer attorney program, we are unable to guarantee anyone an attorney. We will do our best to find you a volunteer.
• Finally, after you have submitted a completed intake form, please do not call the hotline or the Florida Bar. We know you are worried about saving your home and we want to help you. Calling the Florida Bar or Florida Legal Services results in delays in processing the applications.

The Florida Attorneys Saving Homes project has received in excess of 10,000 calls and over 5,000 intake forms since the project was launched back in June. Due to the volume of calls and the number of intake forms being received, it may be 30-45 days before you hear back from the program. You may want to access for additional pro bono legal assistance or contact The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service for a referral to an attorney for a low fee consultation (1-800-342-8011).Complete your own Florida Attorneys Saving Homes intake form.

Foreclosure has become a common problem in many divorces. The City of Orlando has developed a program to help those facing foreclosure keep their homes. Similar programs may exist in other cities. Some details of the Orlando program:

Program Description

The City of Orlando developed this foreclosure prevention strategy in an effort to protect its investments in housing throughout the community. The City will provide one time assistance to help homeowners who become delinquent or default on their mortgage payments if the default was caused by unforeseen circumstances. Participation in credit counseling will be required for the household that receives assistance.

Selection Criteria

Services under the Foreclosure Prevention Strategy will be available on a first come, first serve basis to income eligible homeowners. Preference for assistance under this strategy will be given to households whose homes were constructed or rehabilitated with financial assistance from the City of Orlando. Other income eligible residents may also be able to access funding under this strategy. Homeowners requesting financial assistance to pay their mortgage must reside in the property and provide evidence of the need for the assistance. They must also demonstrate their ability to maintain their mortgage payments after the services have been rendered. Written verification of income, employment and benefits will be obtained for all applicants. The Housing and Community Development Department will be responsible for the income certification process.

Recapture Provisions

Assistance provided under this strategy shall be provided in the form of a zero (0) percent, deferred loan. Upon sale of the property or if the owner chooses to refinance the property, the City may recapture the entire amount of assistance from the home buyer.

Agencies

Mortgage and Credit Center: (407) 654-8804

If you are an Orange County resident, please contact Orange County Housing and Community Development Department at (407) 836-5171.

Approaching a new low: In an Oregon custody case, a mother (or one of her relatives) inserts a tape recorder into their 4-year-old daughter’s teddy bear in an effort to tape record the father. The tape recording is illegal and so the tape is not considered by the judge. Now the mother faces a lawsuit for invasion of privacy. Read the story here: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10531389