If child has been unlawfully brought into Lithuania (or is being held in Lithuania)

If child has been unlawfully brought into Lithuania (or is being held in Lithuania)

In Lithuania, a person seeking the return of a child who has been unlawfully brought into Lithuania (or is being held in Lithuania) to the State of habitual residence in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Convention has the right to receive free, state-guaranteed legal aid for initiating legal proceedings before the Court of Lithuania and during the court proceedings.

The person must contact the State-guaranteed Legal Aid Service (https://vgtpt.lrv.lt/en/) for free state-guaranteed legal aid. A person seeking the return of a child under the Hague Convention may also be represented on the basis of a contract of legal representation concluded with a private lawyer. Here you can find a list of private lawyers with competence to represent international child abduction cases (List of advocates). In Lithuania, cases concerning the return of children brought unlawfully to Lithuania (or held in Lithuania) under the Hague Convention are heard at first instance by the Vilnius Regional Court (https://vat.teismas.lt/en). The return of a child who may have been unlawfully brought to Lithuania (or held in Lithuania) to the State of his/her habitual residence must be prepared by the person seeking the child's return (or the lawyer representing him/her), and the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service participates in this case as the institution giving the conclusion.

After considering the case, the Vilnius Regional Court issues an order which may be appealed to the Court of Appeal of Lithuania (https://www.apeliacinis.lt/en) within 7 days. Cassation in cases of return of children under the Hague Convention is not possible (Article 7(6) of the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the Implementation of European Union and International Legal Acts Regulating Civil Procedure).