Family Law

Hilary Clinton Assists in International Custody Battle

By Erin Kelley

In 2004 Bruna Goldman and her son, Sean Goldman, said goodbye to husband and dad, David Goldman. David dropped them off at the airport for what he thought would be a two-week vacation in Brazil; however, Bruna had other plans.

After arriving in Brazil, Bruna contacted David and informed him that she planned to stay in her native Brazil with their four-year-old son - she wanted a divorce.

The Goldman’s divorced and Bruna remarried. She became pregnant and died last summer while giving birth. David was shocked when he found out a Brazilian judge awarded custody of his son to his late ex-wife’s husband.

David wants his son back and an international custody battle is underway. So far, he has only been awarded visitation rights to his son by the Brazilian courts.

David says that Bruna and her husband had a Brazilian birth certificate issued for Sean, who was born in New Jersey. After Bruna?s death, her husband filed a petition to have David?s name removed from the child?s birth certificate.

Citing The Hague Convention of 1980, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has intervened in the case and asked the Brazilian government to return the child to his biological father. Clinton has said that she hopes the child will be returned to David very soon and will continue to press the Brazilian government until the matter is resolved.

Full post as published by The Divorce Blog on March 24, 2009 (boomark / email).