Parental Release Letter from Ex/Biological Parent

Hi guys,

Sorry to ask, but I can't seem to find this info on the site.  I was wondering if anyone here had to draft a release letter signed by an absent parent allowing their child to move abroad.  My ex is agreeable to the move, and has agreed to sign with me in front of a notary so I can have it to put with our immigration paperwork.  I was just wondering what the proper wording might sound like.  Is it alright to have it pretty simple, like " I, John Doe, father of Jane Doe, allow Jane Doe to move to the United Kingdom with her mother and step-father Mr and Mrs. John Smith"  or something similar? 

One more question if you'll permit me!  I'm sure every state has different laws regarding friend of the court orders.  (We're in Michigan).  We have a custodial order from back in 2002 that gives me full physical custody, and we share legal custody.  It specifies parenting time of every other weekend and six months in summer, alternate holidays, the usual. Obviously we are not going to be following that once we move; we have agreed he will have her every summer, as well as Christmas or Spring breaks if financially possible, no child support, and we pay half of transportation costs.  My second question is then - Does the immigration need to have a new court order specifying this, or will our newly signed agreement be sufficient?  And do they need to see our 2002 Custody Order also? If they do, I am worried they will demand we get a new order that specifies our new parenting time and support agreement.  The process for enacting a new order is complicated and time-consuming, and we'd both rather not do it if we don't have to. 


Sorry if this is a bit complicated - perhaps someone who has done it before may have some advice?  Thanks very much in advance for any suggestions! 

I got a notarized letter from my ex giving them permission to move to the UK.

Also, I know each state is different but child support HAS (Iowa) to be paid even if both parties agree not to. I was attempting to 'buy out' my kids from my ex telling him he would be able to drop the child support payments and my lawyer told me it was illegal. He said a judge would have to agree to that and judges would rarely agree to that.

Also, since I was divorced before moving to the UK we had to have modification papers drawn up with the new visitation schedule and travel agreement ie. who pays.
I would certainly get that sorted out before moving over!

I've been through it all. PM me if you like!

Good luck!

I divorced my ex some long time ago so things could have changed since then. But as for the notarized letter, yes that is basically what my ex put and signed on the one he did. I was not present at that signing. As for the divorce, I had physical custody and legal custody. He had 30 days a year visitation and he had to physically pick up and drop off the children at my home himself and the costs were his responsibilities. Sounds harsh maybe but he is/was a dead-beat dad.
Why would you not accept child support? I agree with Lady Goodiva on that one. Even way back when in Washington State it was a must and it was a court ordered thing, not a figure we could decide by ourselves (this saddened my ex greatly ). Keep in mind it is pretty expensive to live here even though thankfully there are things like the NHS, which includes dentists for children if you are lucky enough to find a dentist in your area, and free eye exams and glasses for children.
Actually I just remembered this. The Embassy in Los Angelas where I applied for my spousal visas said my ex MUST put on the letter that he would maintain child support for them whilst they lived in the UK. So you might want to ask where you are getting your visas from exactly what they would like the letter to say that way you are not delayed or denied because of a technicality.

My ex signed a letter and had it notarised for the older kids to move to the UK with us. It was the same simple type thing that you typed in.

As for the other...I do not have physical custody of one of the two children and we always shared joint legal custody of all the children. I did include the divorce papers in our application as supporting documents but only to prove my right to re-marry. The letter was what they worried about. It needs to be clear what his intent is. We included a contact number just in case they want to verify it.

In terms of the child support, I admit it I bought him off. But it would have cost me more to cash his $250/month for 3 kids cheque than it was worth. They did not seem to care about that as much as my new husbands letter saying that he assumes full responsibility for them.

I applied for them in November of 2006 so that was a little over a year ago, but I believe that the letter from your ex is all that you will need still.

In terms of the child support, I admit it I bought him off. But it would have cost me more to cash his $250/month for 3 kids cheque than it was worth. They did not seem to care about that as much as my new husbands letter saying that he assumes full responsibility for them.

I think I needed the letter because my new husband was on low pay at the time so that makes sense.
And buying off your ex, do not worry about it. I did the same for full/legal custody by giving up my right to half of his retirement pay in exchange. I still think I got the better deal 

And buying off your ex, do not worry about it. I did the same for full/legal custody by giving up my right to half of his retirement pay in exchange. I still think I got the better deal 

OMG! This is so funny! I did the same thing! I was entitled to half of the beasts military pension but I told him if he signed a consent giving me permission to take the boys to the UK than I would relinquish my rights to his pension. He snapped up that offer and now I can live a life knowing he sold out his kids for a few extra bucks!

I can live a life knowing he sold out his kids for a few extra bucks!

exactly!
I was just doing a search on the forum about dual citizenship and came up with your old thread from 2004. Are you my twin?!? My kids were also stuck some years ago without ANY passport. I tracked him down via a search for relatives of his and after begging for his phone number, I finally got ahold of him. First he said he would "think about it" when I asked him to sign their US passport renewel form. Then he said I was SOL (not sure what the swearing rules are here but I guess everyone knows what that means ) He promptly dropped off the face of the earth again whilst trying to evade the state of Washington garnishing his paycheck (he's retired now!)
I did 3 private detective searches for him as this was just getting rediculous, they all came up blank. The US Embasy finally agreed to send my eldest son an emergency passport good for only 1 year but said they could not help further without permission from his father. 3 years later when I applied for British Citizenship I included the boys on an off chance they might help us. I explained in a 7 page letter that my children were in effect STATELESS as they had NO way to travel anywere. I included the PI reports that showed up blank as proof I had tried to find their father to rectify the situation and I swear to God I CRIED like a baby when I received their Citizenship invitations. It was the happiest day of our lives I have to say!!
So anyway, your thread ended and I was just wondering if you ever managed to get them a US passport? Man how freaky hu? 

Got I think our exes are twins!!
In the end I had to get a court order to get him to sign for them. Total d*ckhead! I did get a letter from the US Dept of State stating they spoke to him on the phone but unfortunately he still refused to sign. I hope this letter will be good enough to help me get the boys' UK Nationality without his permission. I would love nothing more than to let him know the boys are dual nationals withOUT his permission/blessing!!

I am glad you got them a US passport at least then! After my sons 1 year temp on expired (he needed it on a school trip to France) his school went on a Battlefields trip through Europe. The school got him on the joint passport by just putting his name on their list. Probably naughty but I am thankful they did as he would have missed out otherwise.
The stupid thing is, the only one they are hurting is the kids! If anyone else does a search here in future with the same problems I hope they can see there are ways around dead beat parents NOT cooperating. 

The stupid thing is, the only one they are hurting is the kids! If anyone else does a search here in future with the same problems I hope they can see there are ways around dead beat parents NOT cooperating. 

I know but it's not about the kids is it? It's a control issue for these men. We need something from them so if they don't do it then they stay in control. Sicky stuff! 
So do your kids have US passports now? Have you taken them to the US on their UK passports?

Geez, what a loser!! 

I read recently that they're raising the age where a kid can sign his own passport. I think it's going from 14 to 16 or 17!
Shame really. All the crap from their father probably put them off the US. But it's wonderful they've embraced their new British culture! Good for them!

Thanks Lady Goodiva.  I too am happy they have embraced life here. Goodness knows what their lives would be like if I were still with my ex!
16 or 17? Gosh that is unfair. I am doubly glad my 13 year old has a British passport. No one can know how frustrating it is NOT to be able to do something so simple as a family holiday or a day trip to France because of a stupid situation like this.
P.S. Wondering if my divorce papers giving me full physical and legal custody made it easier in the end to get this sorted on the British side.

Men either side can be the same my wife had problems with her ex he tried to block everything she did, but thankfully she could sign for childrens passports with out permission so that was cool, our one child hardly saw his bio father, I really am all he has known, and this person was not to bothered he just wanted my wife to have problems but the only one it spitted was our son, but now we have it all sorted and that is fine thank goodness that my wifes first husband is very good and we all get very well, and its good for the boys also, the older ones.

We really feel for anyone in these situations as it is a horrible controling way and the kids are the ones that get hurt, we as adults get frustrated 

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=16191.msg178132#msg178132

Cait thanks that was awesome. You don't by any chance have what you used for ILR do you?