Who Are The Top International Child Custody & Matrimonial Lawyers In New York City? Joel S. Walter of New York City Is Outstanding

The I CARE Foundation

International divorce and child custody cases are incredibly complex, particularly when their are adversarial parties litigating with one another. 

In my role as the Founding Director of the not-for-profit 'International Child Abduction Research and Enlightenment Foundation', (the 'I CARE Foundation'), I have had a ring-side seat to an enormous number of difficult and highly complex international child custody cases stemming from the nightmare of international parental child abduction. In this capacity, I have had plenty of opportunity to see some of the best and quite frankly some of the less desirable lawyers in the United States litigate these highly sophisticated cases. 

Top New York City
Matrimonial Attorney
Joel S. Walter

Clearly, New York City based attorney Joel S. Walter is in my opinion one of the best international matrimonial lawyers in the country and surely at the top of my list of international divorce and child custody attorneys practicing in New York City and the surrounding area. 

Again, my vantage point comes from my activity as a board member of the I CARE Foundation.  In all due fairness and with transparency, Joel S. Walter also sits on the I CARE Foundation's Board of Directors. 

Mr. Walter was nominated to the I CARE Foundation's Board of Directors one year ago, and was selected with good reason: he is a brilliant lawyer whose practice primarily revolves around complex federal court cases, including challenging international matrimonial disputes and cross-border child kidnapping.  In addition, Mr. Walter, outside of being a highly skilled litigator, possessed an unbowed desire to help children, particularly those who were or may be targeted for abduction.  Combining his legal skill set and desire to make a difference on behalf of others, there was one other trait that Mr. Walter has, and one I know is critical and important for parents dealing with international custody disputes: he knew and respected the law, and in that knowledge, he was able to obtain positive results for his clients. 

"Outside of being a great lawyer, Joel is brutally honest with his clients and does not act with chicanery before the courts."were the words used to describe Joel S. Walter by my good friend, the highly respected Honorable Ronald Aiello, who was the Chief Administrative Judge for New York State Supreme Court in both Kings Country and Richmond (and the inspiration for the character Judge Ronald Pitt in my novel 'The Den of the Assassin') nearly twenty years ago, when Joel and I first became friends.

The sentiment shared by Judge Aiello, who sadly passed several years ago, are sentiments felt by other judges who preside over either cases in New York State Supreme Court or the United States District Courts.   

For those of you who are not aware of the I CARE Foundation, our primary mission, as cited from our official website is as follows: 

 The International Child Abduction Research and Enlightenment Foundation mission is to participate in social and political dialogue that will assist in the prevention of children targeted for international parental child abduction or in the reunification of children who have been wrongfully abducted. At the core of our mission is our ongoing activity to conduct research in the area of international parental child abduction and use our findings to assist policymakers create and uphold laws and policies that will prevent innocent children from abduction. It is our further goal to educate government administrators and lawmakers of our research findings so that this information can assist direct initiatives and policies. We believe it is critical that judges overseeing abduction prevention or reunification cases must become more educated of the complexities that evolve around child abduction cases. It is our intent to play a role in educating the judiciary as well as officers of the court, including lawyers who practice family law. Finally, it is our mission to educate all individuals interested in protecting children from abduction, including parents who have children targeted for abduction so that they may be able to protect their children. At the core of the I CARE Foundation is our mission to help prevent children from being internationally kidnapped through research, education, and empowerment to create and uphold policies that will help children.

What makes me say that Joel S. Walter is one of the best international matrimonial lawyers in New York City and the United States, particularly when it comes to international disputes regarding children?

A Rare Event:
A child comes home

The answer may be found in realizing that Joel S. Walter has been heavily influential in reuniting a large number of internationally abducted children or preventing an even larger number of abductions.  Or maybe it is due to his ability to assist divorcing families resolve highly litigious and complex family court cases in a civil and amicable manner due to his no-nonsense, yet elder-statesmen character that is clearly backed by a great deal of knowledge. Or maybe it is because Mr. Walter is very involved in the I CARE Foundation's federal legislative initiatives concerning two initiatives that will, if passed into law, protect children from abduction or trafficking.

I am proud and honored to work with Joel S. Walter in our fight to stop the growing pandemic of international parental child abduction as a co-member of the I CARE Foundation's board of directors.

Joel S. Walter is not only a top litigator who knows and understands the complexities of international law, and who is highly respected by those he works with or litigates before, but he does something really impressive: he does what he says he is going to do.

Based on the number of children of abduction Joel S. Walter has either helped reunite or prevented abduction from occurring, based on his long-history of practicing complex legal cases before numerous United States Federal Courts for 40 years in consecutive good standing, based upon his willingness to give of himself and come to the aid and protection of defenseless children, and based upon a wealth of knowledge that allows him to work toward successful outcomes for his clients while also working diligently toward creating and implementing new laws that will protect children from abduction, Joel S. Walter is in my opinion one of the best international matrimonial and child custody lawyers in New York City and the United States. 

Mr. Walter is licensed to practice law in New York State. He is also admitted to practice in the following courts:

• Appellate Division, First Department of New York
• The four Federal District Courts of New York (Southern, Eastern, Northern and Western)
• The Federal Second Circuit Court of Appeals

For more information on New York City Attorney Joel S. Walter, please visit his website at: www.internationalparentalchildabduction.com 

I CARE Foundation Stops Another Child Abduction

Stopping A Little Girl's Abduction To Croatia: How Abductors Will Create Sophisticated Schemes To Abduct Children.  

I recently was forwarded an article written by an uncle of a young child who the I CARE Foundation and I were able to help prevent her international abduction.

I have to admit, juggling my full time career, making quality time for my family (and me), and volunteering the amount of time I do to help other parents and children targeted for abduction could be exhausting at times. 
Particularly the advocacy work.

Despite the mission of the I CARE Foundation to conduct research that will guide new laws and policy, IPCA is very personal. And so at times we do get involved.

How could we . . . how could I not? I know my responsibility. 

The uncle, Ray, was very kind to say that "Peter Thomas Senese is a heroic child advocate." 

I am not sure abot that . . . I am simply a father who is familiar with the path of child abduction, learned the roads traveled upon by abductors, and now use my knowledge to try and help protect children and their parents who are targeted for abduction. 

And every once in a while we get lucky and we either stop an abduction or reunite a parent. We've been fairly successful at this, but clearly not as good as we would like to be. Often our work and effort, most of which is never spoken about (as most of you who we are assisting know the protocol we establish). 

I am very happy knowing a little girl was not abducted to Croatia. A very special thank you to Joel S. Walter for his big assist on protecting this little girl.

There are times when reading articles or letters such as this recharge your battery and keep you going forward. After all, chasing the cyclones of abduction are not easy.

The I CARE Foundation will be moving on a series of legislative initiatives in the near future that if successful will help stop abduction.

However, the singular most important thing to child abdution prevention is education. Parents need to know the warning signs of abdution as shared in Chasing The Cyclone.

I CARE Foundation seeks lawyers to join the Department of State's "Hague Convention Attorney Network"

The I CARE Foundation along with Patricia M. Lee, Peter Thomas Senese, Joel S. Walter, and Carolyn Ann Vlk have launced a recruitment campaign seeking lawyers to join the Department of State's "Hague Convention Attorney Network" and assist children and their parents targeted for international parental child abduction. A common concern amongst the legal and child abduction prevention advocacy community is that the judiciary is not educated about the complex legal issues concerning international parental child abduction. In order to address this growing and harmful concern, the I CARE Foundation has launched its campaign in hope and anticipation that an educated legal community will make a difference in the fight to protect children from abduction.

The following article appeared in the Connecticut Law Tribune and discusses I CARE's activity.

Wanted: Lawyers Willing To Help Abducted Children

By CHRISTIAN NOLAN - Staff Writer For The Connecticut Law Tribune

Non-profit group seeks help enforcing provisions of international treaty

Imagine how helpless any parent would feel if his or her child were abducted by an estranged spouse. Now think about how much more horrifying it would be if the child was whisked away to another country.
A recent study estimated that between 2009 and 2020, there will be more than 50,000 reports of children involved in custody arrangements being smuggled out of the U.S. The study goes on to say that the number of unreported cases will likely equal or exceed the reported total.

What can the other parent do to try to get their child back? Hiring a lawyer might help.

But few attorneys are trained to do this sort of work. That’s why a non-profit group called the I CARE Foundation is on the recruiting trail.

An agency spokeswoman said Connecticut is among the places where volunteer attorneys are needed because “a large international migratory population” lives in the state. Other “hotbed” states include New York, New Jersey, Texas and California.

“The statistical increase in abduction will continue to rise due to multi-cultural relationships and as individuals embrace global citizenship,” said I Care’s Maria Gina. “Many individuals who originate from a foreign country and see their marriage or partnership end typically seek to return back to their country of origin. If there is a child involved, they often attempt to take the child with them without court order.”

Gina said “there are simply not enough lawyers familiar with the [legal] issues, and this is true in Connecticut.”



I CARE Foundation Director
Patricia M. Lee

 One lawyer who specializes in these kinds of cases spoke of the difficulty in finding an attorney to handle these complex cases. “You get a call out of the blue to help someone for free or for very little money. Would you be willing to take on a case you know very little about?” said Patricia Lee, a Florida attorney. “Very few attorneys know how to do it… I think of the experienced attorneys that I’ve spoken to, it may be they’ve had an issue arise in their family law practice once in a lifetime.”

International Treaty

The cases often fall under the jurisdiction of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The international treaty, signed in the early 1980s, has provisions for punishing the kidnapping parents and returning children to the pre-abduction status quo.

In 2008, the Office of Children’s Issues in the U.S. State Department assumed responsibility for all new cases, and for overseeing a network of volunteer attorneys. The government partnered with the I CARE Foundation to recruit lawyers willing to be trained to become part of the Hague Convention Attorney Network.

Lee was one of the early enlistees. In one of her memorable cases — a child abducted in Europe had been brought to the U.S.

A Belgian man had married an American woman. They had a child, and then the relationship deteriorated. The wife’s mother lived in Florida; on a visit there with the child, the woman decided to get a divorce and stay.

After federal officials found the woman, Lee was contacted. She filed a Hague petition, which can be done in federal or state court. Lee recommends state court, because there is usually less delay. “We had a trial relatively quickly and the judge ruled that the child had to be returned to Belgium,” Lee said.

Back in Europe, the couple went ahead with a divorce, and the woman and child were eventually allowed to move to the U.S. But the father was guaranteed parental and visitation rights.

In most cases, Lee said, the fleeing parent claims to be a victim of domestic violence. That is not a legitimate excuse for abducting a child. “The Hague Convention assumes the signatories have laws in place to address domestic violence so persons victimized should avail themselves to the laws in the country they live,” said Lee.

Lee warned that the longer a parent waits to try to track down the estranged spouse and to file a Hague petition, the tougher it is to regain custody. She said the defense is allowed to present evidence that it is in the child’s best interest to remain in the foreign country if the child is well settled into his or her new environment.

Lee had one client who learned the hard way. A U.S. male married a German national who fled back to her homeland with the kids. She filed for divorce there. Meanwhile, the man had hired a family attorney unfamiliar with the Hague Convention who simply initiated divorce proceedings in the U.S.

Eventually Lee, who speaks German, became involved when she was asked to translate legal documents. More than a year had gone by and a German court gave the woman sole custody. She had told the German court the father was an abuser who neglected his family. She also had time to convince the children of this, too.

Ultimately the father couldn’t afford to pay attorneys in both the U.S. and Germany and the cost of repeated air travel between the two nations. So he gave up his attempt to regain custody. “Basically, he lost the kids,” said Lee. “It’s a very sad story, but it’s not unique. That happens all the time.”

Lawyers interested in finding out more about the Hague Convention Attorney Network should visit www.travel.state.gov/childabduction and click “For Attorneys & Judges;” contact HagueConventionAttorneyNetwork@state.gov; or call 202-501-4444.

I CARE Foundation Seeks Help Enforcing Provisions of International Treaty

The I CARE Foundation along with Patricia M. Lee, Peter Thomas Senese, Joel S. Walter, and Carolyn Ann Vlk have launced a recruitment campaign seeking lawyers to join the Department of State's "Hague Convention Attorney Network" and assist children and their parents targeted for international parental child abduction. A common concern amongst the legal and child abduction prevention advocacy community is that the judiciary is not educated about the complex legal issues concerning international parental child abduction. In order to address this growing and harmful concern, the I CARE Foundation has launched its campaign in hope and anticipation that an educated legal community will make a difference in the fight to protect children from abduction.

The following article appeared in the Connecticut Law Tribune and discusses I CARE's activity.

Wanted: Lawyers Willing To Help Abducted Children

By CHRISTIAN NOLAN - Staff Writer For The Connecticut Law Tribune

Non-profit group seeks help enforcing provisions of international treaty

Imagine how helpless any parent would feel if his or her child were abducted by an estranged spouse. Now think about how much more horrifying it would be if the child was whisked away to another country.
A recent study estimated that between 2009 and 2020, there will be more than 50,000 reports of children involved in custody arrangements being smuggled out of the U.S. The study goes on to say that the number of unreported cases will likely equal or exceed the reported total.

What can the other parent do to try to get their child back? Hiring a lawyer might help.

But few attorneys are trained to do this sort of work. That’s why a non-profit group called the I CARE Foundation is on the recruiting trail.

An agency spokeswoman said Connecticut is among the places where volunteer attorneys are needed because “a large international migratory population” lives in the state. Other “hotbed” states include New York, New Jersey, Texas and California.

“The statistical increase in abduction will continue to rise due to multi-cultural relationships and as individuals embrace global citizenship,” said I Care’s Maria Gina. “Many individuals who originate from a foreign country and see their marriage or partnership end typically seek to return back to their country of origin. If there is a child involved, they often attempt to take the child with them without court order.”

Gina said “there are simply not enough lawyers familiar with the [legal] issues, and this is true in Connecticut.”



I CARE Foundation Director
Patricia M. Lee

 One lawyer who specializes in these kinds of cases spoke of the difficulty in finding an attorney to handle these complex cases. “You get a call out of the blue to help someone for free or for very little money. Would you be willing to take on a case you know very little about?” said Patricia Lee, a Florida attorney. “Very few attorneys know how to do it… I think of the experienced attorneys that I’ve spoken to, it may be they’ve had an issue arise in their family law practice once in a lifetime.”

International Treaty

The cases often fall under the jurisdiction of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The international treaty, signed in the early 1980s, has provisions for punishing the kidnapping parents and returning children to the pre-abduction status quo.

In 2008, the Office of Children’s Issues in the U.S. State Department assumed responsibility for all new cases, and for overseeing a network of volunteer attorneys. The government partnered with the I CARE Foundation to recruit lawyers willing to be trained to become part of the Hague Convention Attorney Network.

Lee was one of the early enlistees. In one of her memorable cases — a child abducted in Europe had been brought to the U.S.

A Belgian man had married an American woman. They had a child, and then the relationship deteriorated. The wife’s mother lived in Florida; on a visit there with the child, the woman decided to get a divorce and stay.

After federal officials found the woman, Lee was contacted. She filed a Hague petition, which can be done in federal or state court. Lee recommends state court, because there is usually less delay. “We had a trial relatively quickly and the judge ruled that the child had to be returned to Belgium,” Lee said.

Back in Europe, the couple went ahead with a divorce, and the woman and child were eventually allowed to move to the U.S. But the father was guaranteed parental and visitation rights.

In most cases, Lee said, the fleeing parent claims to be a victim of domestic violence. That is not a legitimate excuse for abducting a child. “The Hague Convention assumes the signatories have laws in place to address domestic violence so persons victimized should avail themselves to the laws in the country they live,” said Lee.

Lee warned that the longer a parent waits to try to track down the estranged spouse and to file a Hague petition, the tougher it is to regain custody. She said the defense is allowed to present evidence that it is in the child’s best interest to remain in the foreign country if the child is well settled into his or her new environment.

Lee had one client who learned the hard way. A U.S. male married a German national who fled back to her homeland with the kids. She filed for divorce there. Meanwhile, the man had hired a family attorney unfamiliar with the Hague Convention who simply initiated divorce proceedings in the U.S.

Eventually Lee, who speaks German, became involved when she was asked to translate legal documents. More than a year had gone by and a German court gave the woman sole custody. She had told the German court the father was an abuser who neglected his family. She also had time to convince the children of this, too.

Ultimately the father couldn’t afford to pay attorneys in both the U.S. and Germany and the cost of repeated air travel between the two nations. So he gave up his attempt to regain custody. “Basically, he lost the kids,” said Lee. “It’s a very sad story, but it’s not unique. That happens all the time.”

Lawyers interested in finding out more about the Hague Convention Attorney Network should visit www.travel.state.gov/childabduction and click “For Attorneys & Judges;” contact HagueConventionAttorneyNetwork@state.gov; or call 202-501-4444.

Peter Senese and Carolyn Vlk Provide Useful Tools To Parents At Risk Of International Child Abduction

Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Ann Vlk are child abduction prevention advocates who have spent endless resources researching issues related to international parental child abduction (IPCA). Recently, the child advocates published the historic 'THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN', a 330 page resource guide containing groundbreaking research and landmark findings on a diverse number of issues surrounding IPCA. At the core of the manifesto, the authors ask the questions, "How are our children being internationally abducted, and, what can we do to prevent this from happening?"

Reviewers, critics, and more importantly, the intended audience of 'THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN' - targeted parents of at-risk children and professionals and advocates who actively act to prevent abduction from occurring have praised Mr. Senese and Ms. Vlk's publication as a resource tool that has had a significant impact on the safety of many children.

Peter Thomas Senese commented, 'THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN' is the product of years of research and study into various issues of child abduction. Both Carolyn Vlk and I volunteer our time and resources to this important issue because it is our hope to stop as many child abductions as possible from occurring. Unfortunately, too many targeted children and many family law practitioners are not fully aware of the complex issues of international child abduction. So we decided to publish this extensive resource guide and make it free for everyone who needs it, while also using our finding to push for new state and federal laws and policy that will prevent international child abduction."

Written reviews of 'THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN' tell a story of two child advocates making a positive difference in the lives of many. For insight on the high-impact work of Mr. Senese and Ms. Vlk, please read the following reviews:

Written By: Joel S. Walter (Esquire and Renown Child Advocate)
The World Turned Upside Down is a must read for all parents! The authors, Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Vlk are leading advocates in the world of International Parental Child Abduction. Mr. Senese's work in this area is exemplary and impactful, and he and Ms. Vlk, author of Florida's Child Abduction Law, have both been successful 'chasing' parents, and they offer a detailed manual providing that which one needs to know if one's child is at risk ...The WORLD provides one with strategies by explaining the different laws and treaties that come into play regarding child abduction. Also, the authors provide the reader with those "risk factors" to watch for and methods to protect against a child's abduction with steps to take should the abduction actually occur.It is critical that any partner in a cross-cultural relationship pay attention to the risk factors which are detailed by the authors ...This clearly written resource guide will either help prevent an abduction or assist in the recovery of your child ... The authors have demonstrated their activism by uploading a full free copy of The World Turned Upside Down which is a HOME RUN! Kudos!

Written By:  Jill Jones-Soderman (Executive Director: 'The Foundation For The Child Victims Of The Family Court')
We wish to note that Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Ann Vlk's THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN  is filled with accurate, usable, effective information  dealing with that which is certainly one of the most horrifying experiences of a parent's life, the abduction of their child by a co-parent.In fact, it is in the authors' clear and thoughtful research on various issues concerning international parental child abduction that new and important light is shed on critical topics that ask the questions 'How are our children internationally kidnapped?' and 'What can we do to prevent this?' In answering these questions in various ways, Mr. Senese and Ms. Vlk continue to assess previously published statistics, research, and data, and analyze how this information was derived. What has become clear and certain is that the general public, the court's, lawmakers, and attorneys  know very little about international parental child abduction, and the widespread impact it has on society. Concrete material which galvanizes the strength of a stricken parent includes such material as the research report titled 'Crisis In America: International Parental Child Abduction Today' ...Truly, for the first time has there been a thorough analysis that provides the full view of abduction, while also dissecting and discarding previously inaccurate information based on faulty past studies ... Another brilliant component of THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN is a section titled 'International Parental Child Abduction and Human Trafficking In The Western Hemisphere'. Here, the authors hit pay-dirt. In asking the question, 'How are our children abducted?', the authors are led toward studying the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).  Under the WHTI, it has become clear how children are abducted. Specifically, the WHTI allows for children under the age of 16 traveling by land or by sea from the United States to present a photocopy of their citizenship papers such as a birth certificate! As the authors point out, only the use of a passport at departure provides some control over possible abduction ... Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Ann Vlk have created a highly valuable manifesto on international parental child abduction prevention and recovery that is clearly geared toward two objectives. The first is obvious: to help other parents and children who are targets of abduction. The second objective is to create a highly informative and accurate resource for lawmakers, members of the judiciary, and child advocates alike, as the authors focus their actions toward changing, modifying, or implementing new law and policy at either a state or federal level ... THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN  is a unique, outstanding, generous contribution unknown to date for its desire to help a huge public that has suffered immeasurably for lack of information as to how to proceed and who to trust in their quest to find a missing/lost child.  THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN by child advocates Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Ann Vlk is a true manifesto that every parent potentially at risk, that every family court lawyer, and every lawmaker interested in protecting our nation's children should read.

Written By: Rianna Pearson (Targeted Parent of at-risk children)
Undeniably, Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Vlk's `The World Turned Upside Down' is so much more than a brilliant resource guide selflessly created by two highly respected child abduction prevention advocates who have had an immensely impactful influence on a large and growing global community seeking to find effective remedies to this abusive crime against children. And I know this first-hand because I am a parent at risk who was able to protect my three children from abduction due in no small way because of Mr. Senese and Ms. Vlk's intervention and the knowledge they directly shared with me which is also contained in `The World Turned Upside Down'. The reality is my children were not abducted to a foreign country because of the information contained in `The World Turned Upside Down' and the extraordinary knowledge and actions of Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Vlk ... There are individuals who decide to act in the face of adversity in order to help others. In creating `The World Turned Upside Down', Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Vlk have not only acted and acted again, but the information they share will help many others throughout the world ... `The World Turned Upside Down' is a carefully written manifesto on how to stop a growing worldwide problem. As for Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Vlk, what can I say? I know if it was not for them, my children would be long gone. As I shared earlier in this review, "God bless both of you, and thank you so much for all you did for me and my children." Help other customers find the most helpful reviews.

Written By: G. Nyberg (Renown Child Advocate)
The World Turned Upside Down is written by a parent who experienced firsthand the horror, pain, and financial burden of having his child abducted. Peter got directly involved in the search for his son and remained persistent in his quest despite the many setbacks and obstacles. Through his experience he recognized the necessity to help and educate parents facing the same circumstances. Peter wanted to empower parents with the knowledge, statistics, contacts, and networks he discovered effective and useful, so he wrote, "The World Turned Upside Down". This book is essential for not only parents searching for their children, but for law enforcement, advocates, an NGO, and other professionals involved in international child abduction and human trafficking ... The World Turned Upside Down is a must read not only for parents at risk of child abduction, such as those who believe a non-custodial parent is capable of taking their child illegally and leaving the country, but for anyone close to them.

Written By: Amanda Bayoumi (Targeted Parent of At-Risk Children)
In THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN, Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Vlk have created an extraordinary vital tool for any parent who's child is at risk of international parental child abduction or has been criminally abducted. Packed with a plethora of resources,important contacts and information right at your fingertips, THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN is the creation of years of research complied into to a easy to read format that will be always evolving based on the needs of the left behind parent. This will be a living and breathing book that with completely change the fight against international parental child abduction. I applaud the authors for their significant effort to help parents like myself who have been targets for a potential criminal child abduction. Not only has the written book THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN been a great resource to me and my legal representatives, but the material presented has in fact made a very big difference on my and my children's safety. I am extremely grateful that this book has been published and made available the way it has. Clearly both Peter Senese and Carolyn Vlk dedication to helping parents and children like myself is most commendable. THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN is a must read for targeted parents of abduction, lawmakers, and most of all, judges who oversee cases involving children and a potential abduction risk.

Written By: Maurizio Rigamonti (Targeted Victim of International Parental Child Abduction)
I'm presently chasing the nightmarish cyclone of international parental child kidnapping and the incomprehensible legal and prejudicial maze many targeted parents unfairly face while trying to protect their criminally victimized child and I can say that, "Thanks to `The World Turned Upside Down' and the admirable efforts of it's authors Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Vlk, we have a real manual that tells us in detail a substantial amount about the world of international parental child abduction. As a parent involved in a case of international child abduction, I can say that this book is a precious help to all who are subject to the horror of having a child kidnapped abroad. THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN is a must read for targeted parents of abduction, lawmakers, and most of all, judges who oversee cases involving children and a potential abduction risk.

Written By: David Bokel (Child Advocate and Targeted Parent)
The World Turned Upside Down is a great resource for law enforcement, judges, lawyers, legislatures, and parents. It is so painful to imagine your own child suddenly missing. Many parents and whole communities of people do not know what to do when a child goes missing. This book provides valuable answers. If more people worked on prevention, there would be fewer children missing. We need to look past the pain in order to find ways to prevent child abduction. I invite all to educate themselves and work hard to advocate for our children and reduce the numbers of children abducted. Together we can make a difference for the benefit of our precious children.

Written By: Vivian Middleton (Child Advocate)
The World Turned Upside Down is a book that is filled with Knowledge. Knowledge is POWER! Parental Alienation is an Epidemic throughout our world, yet very little is being done to prevent it. This book offers the reader to gain the knowledge necessary to bring about CHANGE! If one sit's idly by and does nothing, then nothing changes. I can not emphasize enough just how very important it is for each of us to become involved. I feel that this book gives one an extended helping hand in bringing about a profound change and protect our children from such a horrific episode in their life and that of their loved ones, that forever leaves permanent scars. This is a preventable occurrence. But one must want and seek out change. I think that this book offers so much information to those who have not fully explored the World of Parental Alienation. It offers so much to those who are going through it. A GREAT RESOURCE of INFORMATION. Well worth reading and sharing and doing everything possible to bring about change to protect the innocent children that we are suppose to protect.

Written By: Peggy G - (Grandparent of at-risk children)
The "World Turned Upside Down" by Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Vlk is a book that has truly impacted my family's life. Speaking from experience, I know first-hand the serious challenges that a parent faces when their child is at risk for international child abduction. In my family's case, this is even more true when the other parent is from the Middle East and from a country that is not a party to any international treaty and where women are not nationals of that nation and have NO rights. There is no doubt that abduction prevention is the key. Every case is unique and with jurisdictional laws that vary from state to state, it is so important to have the critical and up-to-date information on international parental child abduction and prevention that is found in "The World Turned Upside Down." It is a wonderful gift that Peter and Carolyn have given to all of us to provide great insight on every issue that a targeted parent or family MUST pay attention to. I urge every parent involved in a cross-cultural relationship to read "The World Turned Upside Down." Don't wait. It may very well be the most important book you will ever read. On a personal note, I want to thank Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Vlk for being so dedicated to helping other parents and their children. Their work and actions alone with my family have made such a big difference and we are so thankful to them both.

Written By: N. Caraballo (Child Advocate)
Although I was not personally and directly involved during the time in which the International Parental Abduction was committed in our situation, I am now having to deal with the aftermath and prevention of a potential re-abduction of a minor child that I have come to love, care and cherish. Although our child is back home where he belongs in Florida, the hardest and most challenging issue has been to educate the judge and the legal system to put in place the preventive measures to avoid another re-abduction. This book has all the information to educate the judges, courts, and attorneys to take into consideration the preventive measures that can be put into place to avoid re-abduction by the parent who have no respect to the laws of our country. I've learned so much from this book. Parental International Abduction is a CRIME, it is CHILD ABUSE!! Let's get together and spread this informational book to avoid and deter those people who think they can commit this crime and get away with it!! THANK YOU, PETER AND CAROLYN FOR SHARING ALL THE INFORMATIVE RESOURCES CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK. I know with all this information, we can continue to stay strong and keep our child safe at home!

Written By: Ann Kerlin (Child Advocate)
It is sad and disgusting to know that grown adults play a cat and mouse game with one another using their own child(ren) as a pawn. In a lot of instances, one parent abducts their child(ren) from the guardian parent and crosses international lines to flee and hide. The mental and spiritual damage this causes to the child(ren) is staggering yet it doesn't just continues but is growing more rampant each year. On top of having to deal with parent against parent, there are also still many child(ren) abducted by strangers for whatever reason, be it greed or just evil intentions. In order to bright light to this worldwide epidemic, Peter Thomas Senese, being experienced as a "Chasing Parent" himself and Carolyn Ann Vlk, who has experienced the threats of abductions of her son, wrote this comprehensive e-book to outline the numbers (which is staggering), the financial burden on the "Chasing Parent" of trying to recover their abducted child(ren), as well as resources that the "Chasing Parents" can utilize to perhaps locate and recover their abducted child ... As much as we want to keep our eyes closed to this type of tragedy, they happen and more times than we would like. Kudos to Peter and Carolyn for their hard work and dedication in bringing this book and awareness to the forefront.

Written By: Stephen Bryer (Targeted Parent Of At-Risk Children)
I hope it is not viewed as to strange to say in my review of THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN 'God Bless both of you, Peter Senese and Carolyn Vlk': without the information that you have provided in your incredible resource guide, I am certain my son and daughter would be long gone and out of the country. It was due to the information you created that my lawyer was able to persuade the court to act carefully and not permit my ex-wife leave the country with my son and daughter. As it turned out, she had every intention of abducting my kids and staying in Russia ... The acts of Mr. Senese and Ms. Vlk to create such a thorough and detailed guide - and publish it for free only leads me to say one thing: God Bless you, Peter Senese and Carolyn Vlk.

For more information, please visit http://www.peterthomassenese.com/ or http://www.chasingthecyclone.com/