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HOW WE CAN HELP

Expert Testimony and Consultation

Expert Witness opinion on flight risk and risk of international custody abduction and the legal remedy available to the left-behind parent if abduction to the Middle East occurs. Scope of testimony includes Islamic, Shari’a law as it relates to parent’s and children’s rights during divorce and custody disputes, and women’s rights in Islamic societies. I (Kristine) have provided expert testimony in the following jurisdictions:
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California, North Carolina, Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Oregon, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina, Michigan, Texas, New Jersey, Virginia, New York, Wisconsin, North Carolina and the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.

In the case of Abugoush v. Abugoush (New Jersey), my affidavit was utilized specifically for an (abduction) Risk Management Hearing wherein high risk was determined and the court ordered supervised visitation.  In the case of Susan (Steyteieh) Miller v. Sharif Ghalib Sharif Steuteyieh (California), supervised visitation was maintained after my direct testimony. In the case of Valerie Pitts Alamanseer v. Hamdallah Albaseer Almanaseer (Florida) my affidavit was used to prohibit travel to Jordan during unsupervised visitation.
 
Testimony has addressed the application of Shari’a Law and prevalent customs in Islamic societies as it relates to divorce and child custody for the following Islamic countries or courts:
Jordan, Egypt, United Arab Emirates (Dubai), Iran, Kuwait, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Morocco, and Qatar.
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I have also provided testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC. My testimoniy before Congress addressed my difficulty in gaining access to my abducted children held in Saudi Arabia and my experiences with the Shari’a’ court system concerning custody/visitation rights of American parents of dual national children.
In addition, in some situations we are able to provide in-country communication/liaison, and service of process.

WORKSHOPS

Kristine Uhlman is available to speak before your group and/or to develop a workshop for training of your agency.
  • 2007 Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California—workshop presentation, Islamic Shari’a Contracts: Pre-Nuptials and Custody Protections. With: Elisa Kisselburg, Esq.  Anaheim, California, September 28, 2007.  
  • Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, 42nd Annual Conference workshop presentation, International Custody Abduction to the Non-Hague, Islamic Countries: Risk Evaluation and Prevention.  With: Attorney Frieda Gordon, and Mannal Radwan, Embassy of Saudi Arabia.  Seattle, Washington. May 18-21, 2005.
  • California District Attorneys Association Training Seminar – workshop presentation, After the Abduction. With: Elaine Tumonis, CA Deputy Attorney General, and Joan Christini, US Dept. of State. November 16, 2004. 
  • 2004 Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California–workshop presentation, International Child Abduction. With: Elaine Tumonis, CA Deputy Attorney General; Glen Keiser, US Dept. of State; and, Mannal Radwan, Embassy of Saudi Arabia. October 8, 2004. 
  • California State Bar Section Education Institute–workshop presentation, International Custody Abduction. With: Elaine Tumonis, CA Deputy Attorney General, Bill Hilton, Certified Family Law Specialist; and, Mannal Radwan, Embassy of Saudi Arabia. January 24, 2004. 
  • 2002 Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California–workshop presentation, Predicting and Preventing Custody Abduction to the Islamic Middle East. With: Beth Payne, US Dept. of State, Elaine Tumonis, CA Deputy Attorney General, and Hani Ukayli. October 11, 2002.
  • CA District Attorneys Association Seminar–‘Advanced Child Abduction Seminar” workshop presentation, International Parental Kidnapping. With: Bill Hilton, Certified Family Law Specialist; Elaine Tumonis, CA Deputy Attorney General; and Adiar Dyer, Former Head of the Permanent Bureau in the Hague. October 22-24, 2001
  • 2001 Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California–workshop presentation, International Custody Abduction into the Islamic World, Prevention and Prediction. September 7, 2001.
  • AFCC: “Do Great Work, See Great Works”–Family Court and Community Professionals and Los Angeles County Superior Court Family Court Services, Workshop:   Abduction into the Islamic World: Prediction and Prevention. with Elaine Tumonis, J.D., Deputy Attorney General (presentation and proceedings).  Lunch speaker: “Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia”, February 2-4, 2001.
  • Law.com “Kids and the Law: Juvenile Justice and Child Law Practice” – Seminar Workshop: Children at Risk and International Custody Abduction. November 6-17, 2000.
  • 2000 Annual Meeting of the State Bar of California – workshop presentation, International Custody Abduction into the Islamic World. September 16, 2000.
  • US Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues - contracted speaker to the Advanced Consular Course, Foreign Service Institute, Arlington, Virginia (1999, 2000). 

PUBLICATIONS

Publications on Risks and Preventive Measures Relating to Child Abduction to Islamic Countries: Copies available on request.

Uhlman, K., and Kisselburg, Elisa, Islamic Shari'a Contracts: Pre-Nuptial and Custody Protections. Journal of Child custody, 10:59-370, 2013. Click here for pdf.

Uhlman, K., Overview of Shari’a and Prevalent Customs in Islamic Societies: Divorce and Child Custody. 2004 International Law/Family Law Winter Section Education Institute Publication. Click here for pdf.

Uhlman, K., Custody Abduction Risk Factors Unique to the Islamic Countries. The California International Practitioner, Journal of the International Law Section of the California State Bar. Vol. 11, No. 2, 2001-2002. pp.38-44. Click here for pdf.

Uhlman, K., International Custody Abduction into the Islamic World. Association of Certified Family Law Specialists ‘ACFLS’ Newsletter, Winter 2000, No. 4, pp. 11- 13.
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Uhlman, K., Islamic Marriage Contracts. Family Law News. State Bar of California Family Law Section, Issue 3, 2005. Vol. 27, No. 3, pp.9-26.
Kristine's first visit with her abducted children in 1983, 2 years after they were taken.