Courts could order protections when children face abduction risks

Courts may order steps to prevent a child from being abducted, and must issue a prevention order after finding a credible risk. These procedures apply in child-custody cases involving a child under 18, including cases about custody or visitation. A party or another person or agency with a right to seek a custody order may petition; a court may also act on its own motion. The court must weigh relevant risk evidence, including past or threatened abduction, domestic violence, and the respondent's good-faith belief that conduct was needed to avoid imminent harm. An order lasts until its stated end date, the child becomes emancipated or turns 18, or a court with jurisdiction changes or ends it.

Courts may set protective conditions and issue a warrant for police to take a child's physical custody. The measures apply when a court finds a credible risk of abduction; a warrant requires an imminent risk of wrongful removal. A warrant without advance notice is allowed only when the court finds a credible risk that wrongful removal is imminent; the other party must get a chance to be heard as soon as possible, no later than the next court day unless that is impossible. The court may order supervision, a financial bond, or education, and may authorize entry onto private property only if a less intrusive remedy would not work. A hearing after a warrant must happen as soon as possible and no later than the next court day, unless holding it then is impossible.