Divorce or dissolution is not just the act of separating from a spouse. There are many other issues that must be resolved before a divorce is legally complete. One thing that must be sorted out if the couple has children is a visitation plan. One parent is typically established as the custodial parent who has physical custody of the child on a day-to-day basis. If the other parent wants to see the child, a visitation schedule has to be agreed upon.

It was a scheduled visitation that led to a mother's worst nightmare. After they divorced, the two parents shared custody of the boy. In October of last year, the father picked up the son for a weekend visitation and never returned.

Apparently the father had been en route to return the son but fled with the boy after seeing a deputy nearby. The father had found out that there was a warrant for his arrest and seemed to think that running away was a good way to avoid arrest.

Though the father may not have intended to take the boy with him, he was charged with the felony of interfering with the custody of a child. He was arrested last week halfway across the country. The little boy was also found and returned to his mother safely.

This is a good example of the types of consequences that can result when a parent does not follow stipulations in the divorce agreement. It can result in felonies and penalties that range from a fine to prison time. In this situation, it is not clear what sort of sentence the father could be facing.

Source: News-Press online, "Naples man wanted in son's abduction apprehended by US Marshals," 18 February 2011