(See the author’s note below for clarification on which Hague Convention!)

A Hague Service Request, commonly known in the United States as a “USM-94” but also used in Canada, can be at once straightforward and daunting.  On the surface, it’s really just a fill-in-the-blank form.  But the devil is in the details, and when hell breaks loose in Georgia, the devil deals the cards.  It’s not as easy as it might seem, for a whole bunch of reasons.* Continue Reading How to Fill Out a Hague Convention Request

Let’s dig a little deeper into what that query truly means, because some variation of it pops into my inbox at least once or twice a month, from litigators in both the U.S. and Canada.  There’s a lot to unpack in those eight words, and a few things need to be clarified to get to the heart of the question, but the quick answer is… yes. Continue Reading “Do I have to go through the Hague?”

Here’s a Hollywood story that’s relevant to Hague Service issues (I promise)…

Late last month, the story broke that Jason Sudeikis had a custody action served on Olivia Wilde while she was on stage, at a public event, announcing her new movie.  In front of a room full of fans and press and industry bigwigs, that’s got to be a shocker, and more than a bit embarrassing.  The Twitterati naturally went berzerk, throwing as much vitriol at the actor as they could muster. Continue Reading Manner of service overseas? It’s up to the authorities.