As Ohio residents can imagine, fathers' rights are important in child custody cases. The story of a 40-year-old Florida man whose 7-year-old daughter went missing is a prime example of how fathers' rights can be violated. The man was finally reunited with his daughter in Las Vegas just before the Christmas holidays. But the reunion came nearly a month after the girl was reported missing.

The man claims the child's mother denied him visitation rights and took the girl on a trip across the country. The trip included stops in Ohio, North Carolina, and Nevada. On Dec. 15, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested the man's ex-wife and charged her with felony removing a minor from state or concealing location.

The woman was held without bail at a Nevada detention center as she awaited her return to Florida. Authorities claim the 38-year-old woman changed her address too fast for the judicial services to serve the court order. In mid-December, a judge found her in contempt of court for violating the divorce agreement and for taking the child out of the state of Florida.

Reaching an agreement on child custody can be a difficult and emotionally strenuous process. However, once arrangements have been made, it is important that they are adhered to. In situations in which the divorce was less than amicable, the threat to parents' rights may be ever-present. It is therefore vital that fathers and mothers have a firm grasp of their legal rights in terms of parenting time and other privileges. And it is crucial that parents take the necessary steps to preserve and protect such rights.

Source: tcpalm.com, "Port St. Lucie dad reunited with missing daughter, 7, as mom charged with felony," Keona Gardner, Dec. 19, 2011