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International custody battles can be very challenging.

There is no question that divorce can present a number of challenges, not the least of which is trying to figure out a fair resolution to custody questions. In recent years there have been numerous tales of custody battles that have become far more complicated due to international issues.

International comes into play when one of the spouses is a citizen of another country and decides to take the children with them overseas. Legal decisions rendered in one country and not always enforced in others which is why an American man named Christopher Savoie is incarcerated in Japan.

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The back story to this tale is as follows. Savoie and his Japanese ex wife were living in the United States when they divorced. They reached a custody agreement that allowed her to take the children to Japan on vacation.

During one of their trips she chose not to return to the United States and remained in Japan with their children.

Savoie returned to court and filed for and was granted full custody of the children. An arrest warrant was issues for his former wife.

This is where the complications of trying to apply law across international borders comes into play. The Japanese government has a different perspective about custody than the United States.

Japan is not one of the 81 countries that signed the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction of 1980. It is a treaty that prevents parents taking their children to or within the countries of the treaty signatories prior to determining custody.

According the U.S. State Department Savoie is one of many parents engaged in an international custody battle. While still within the U.S. Savoie unsuccessfully tried to use the legal system to have the children returned to the U.S.

When that didn’t work he made other arrangements and flew to Japan. While in Japan he grabbed his children while they walked to school and attempted to flee to the U.S. Consulate. However before they could enter he was arrested and charged with abduction of minors.

It remains unclear as to what will happen to Savoie. But one thing is certain, the issue and challenges surrounding international custody battles will not go away anytime soon.