Active Military Members Fight For International Child Custody In The United States Courts
Jeffrey Lee Chafin v. Lynne Hales Chafin
Docket 11-1347
Facts of the Case:
- Jeffrey Lee Chafin, a citizen of the United States and an active duty member of the United States Army, is the biological Father of Eris Chafin, now five (5) years of age.
- Lynne Hales Chafin is a citizen of Scotland and the biological Mother of Eris Chafin.
- The parties met in 2005 while Father was stationed in Germany and married in March 2006 in the country of Scotland. Eris Chafin was born in 2007 while Father was still stationed in Germany. Eris is considered to have dual citizenship as a citizen of the United States and as a citizen of Scotland.
- Sgt. Chafin was deployed to Afghanistan for fifteen (15) months in 2007 and 2008. During that period of time, Mother and the minor child lived in her native country, Scotland. When Sgt. Chafin returned to Germany from Afghanistan in 2008, the parties decided to remain separated from one another.
- When Sgt. Chafin was transferred to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, in early 2009, Wife/Mother and Eris joined Father and moved to Alabama
Previously my colleague, Anne Shale, posted a very informative article laying out the legal distinctions between sole legal custody and shared parenting in Ohio. Here is the 
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