Location: Illinois
8 months ago my (28m) children (8m & 1m) and their mother (28f) temporarily moved to Illinois to live with her parents. I live in Oregon and have lived in Oregon since 2018 with both children and their mom. Their mom has a history of psychiatric issues/hospitalizations, and about 3 months ago when visiting them, she expressed her disbelief in medication to me, despite meds seemingly working for her in the past. Fast forward a month, she starts exhibiting manic symptoms on the phone and cuts off all communication. I have to call her family members to talk with our kids. Then about a month ago, my 8yo son asks me “do you know that mama is going to florida tomorrow?”
Long story short, children’s mom was flown to a long-term faith-based residential treatment center in Florida. The grandparents organized all of this without telling me, and when I contacted them stating I had bought plane tickets to come get both of my kids, they refused. Threatening legal consequences despite no custody order being in place. I signed for paternity/was present at both of my children’s births, and have raised them up until this pt. I contacted local PD, they said they could not help me retrieve my children without a custody order.
Comments
This is lawyer yesterday territory. Phone with a lawyer ASAP.
So go get a custody order. Since the kids have been in Illinois for several months you will likely need to do it through Illinois’ court system. Find a family lawyer there, tell them what’s going on, and let them help you.
You need to go to court in Illinois, it’s been more than six months, so Oregon lost jurisdiction. You need to get an emergency custody order in Illinois and the police can’t do anything—get a lawyer in their county to get this rolling. Good luck.
You’re going to have to get a lawyer in Illinois and go to court there for a custody order.
Absent a custody order, you can go take physical custody of your children (either parent can). Do not leave IL with them as they’ve been there over 6 months and get a lawyer there to establish a custody order now that mom isn’t available.