Father Reunited With Young Child After Mother Refuses Return

Jenet G. Pequeno

In an emotional victory, Attorney Jenet Pequeno of the Law Offices of Jenet G. Pequeno, LLC, was able to obtain an Emergency Temporary Restraining Order with quick thinking and sound legal strategy allowing for a Chicago father to travel to Colorado to pick up his daughter and return with her to Illinois after the child's mother refused to return her from her summer vacation. The two had agreed that their daughter would travel to Colorado for the month of June and then return in July. It was at the beginning of July that the mother then refused any calls or texts and prevented the father from even communicating with his child. The silence and absence of communications were heart wrenching and deafening as this father did not know how his daughter was faring in Colorado.

In a resounding turn of events, the child's father never doubted Pequeno or his legal strategy and his belief paid off when the father was able to return to Illinois this week with his daughter by his side. It was a harrowing couple of weeks that transpired when the child's mother refused to return the child after the completion of her summer vacation. In very uncertain times, the father's phone calls and texts messages to the mother went unresponded to as it seems the mother was hoping the father would give up his parental rights and leave the child in Colorado.

In heartbreaking testimony, the Chicago courts were able to hear both parents testify via Zoom. The Court ruled that Illinois has home state jurisdiction and ordered the mother to return the child to the father. In cases of this nature, Pequeno says, "Time is of the essence in inter-state cases where the parent-child relationship can be irreparably harmed the longer the absence lasts." Since the pandemic, Cook County Domestic Relations courts have operated primarily on Zoom and the mother was able to attend Court while living in Colorado. Pequeno gives credit to his legal team, including new arrival, Izzy McNally, whose commitment and tenacity enabled the legal team to secure the Temporary Restraining Order commanding the child be returned to her father and allowed to travel back to Illinois. Daughter and father are doing well.

For more information, contact Bridget Graham at 847-616-0980.

Source: The Law Offices of Jenet G. Pequeno, LLC

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