Public Act 600 of 2012 amended MCL 722.27a to require that parenting time orders contain a prohibition on exercising parenting time in a nation that is not a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction unless both parents provide the court with written consent to allow parenting time in a nation that is not a party to this convention. Enacted on January 9, 2013, the Act is effective immediately.
Download PA 600 of 2012 When entering parenting time orders, the court should assure that orders contain the required prohibition, or that both parents have provided the necessary written consent.
Courts need to update locally-developed forms that order parenting time (custody orders, parenting time orders, divorce judgments, etc.) to provide for this statutory change. SCAO- approved forms that order parenting time (FOC 67 and FOC 89 -- part of the Self-Help section of the Michigan One Court of Justice new website) were updated and contain the required provision.
The language you will want to add to custody and parenting time orders will be this:
If you need additional information, the Hague Convention on Private International Law maintains a website with information about the convention on international child abduction and its party nations, and the U.S. Department of State maintains an International Parental Child Abduction webpage.
Be sure to check the country reports on the State Department's website. Some countries are signatories to the convention, but are amazingly non-compliant about returns. Mexico is the worst. The most recent annual report on compliance was released in April 2012. Download 2012 Hague Compliance Report
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