CplQuick
09-20-11, 03:17 PM
Hello Marines,
I have been separated from the Corps since last year. My wife and I divorced while I was still Active due to some anger and drinking problems on my part which I have been seeking help for.. We also have a son together. At the time of our divorce she had sole custody and I had been trying to get at least joint custody of our son. However she has since taken our son back to Italy where she is from originally and I have no idea how I can get him back. She has filed for sole custody in an Italian court, and they granted it to her. She also has gotten our son an Italian passport and he has been granted Italian citizenship.
He is still a US citizen since he was born in the US, and I have to spoken to a lawyer here in Michigan recently. He said that this is a highly complicated case and that it may have to be dealt with in an Italian court, yet he also said that courts in Italy do not generally look favorably on non-Italian citizens when it involves a child, especially if the father is or was a member of the US Armed Forces. I just don't think this lawyer is willing to take the case on since he'll probably lose.
I have thought about going to Italy to try and get him, but the lawyer has advised me that this is definitely not advisable since it would not look favorable in the courts there by trying to take my son out of Italy. I contacted the US Embassy in Rome and the US Consulate in Florence. I also contacted the Italian Embassy in Washington too. They don't seem willing to help, saying the case needs to simply work its way through the courts. The Italian Embassy was the worst and the lady who worked there I spoke with near enough laughed at me over the phone and said as far as the Italian government is concerned, my son is an Italian citizen and that takes precedence over anything, and that I essentially have no rights to him in Italy, since I'm divorced from my wife now. I'm thinking I'm just going to have to fight this case as long as possible to at least get joint custody or get my son back to the US. Has anyone else had a problem like this before, and any advice or anything? Thanks.
Semper Fi,
Cpl Quick.
I have been separated from the Corps since last year. My wife and I divorced while I was still Active due to some anger and drinking problems on my part which I have been seeking help for.. We also have a son together. At the time of our divorce she had sole custody and I had been trying to get at least joint custody of our son. However she has since taken our son back to Italy where she is from originally and I have no idea how I can get him back. She has filed for sole custody in an Italian court, and they granted it to her. She also has gotten our son an Italian passport and he has been granted Italian citizenship.
He is still a US citizen since he was born in the US, and I have to spoken to a lawyer here in Michigan recently. He said that this is a highly complicated case and that it may have to be dealt with in an Italian court, yet he also said that courts in Italy do not generally look favorably on non-Italian citizens when it involves a child, especially if the father is or was a member of the US Armed Forces. I just don't think this lawyer is willing to take the case on since he'll probably lose.
I have thought about going to Italy to try and get him, but the lawyer has advised me that this is definitely not advisable since it would not look favorable in the courts there by trying to take my son out of Italy. I contacted the US Embassy in Rome and the US Consulate in Florence. I also contacted the Italian Embassy in Washington too. They don't seem willing to help, saying the case needs to simply work its way through the courts. The Italian Embassy was the worst and the lady who worked there I spoke with near enough laughed at me over the phone and said as far as the Italian government is concerned, my son is an Italian citizen and that takes precedence over anything, and that I essentially have no rights to him in Italy, since I'm divorced from my wife now. I'm thinking I'm just going to have to fight this case as long as possible to at least get joint custody or get my son back to the US. Has anyone else had a problem like this before, and any advice or anything? Thanks.
Semper Fi,
Cpl Quick.