The other parent took my children out of the state under the pretenses that they were going to return, what do I do?

As set forth elsewhere, it is not uncommon for one parent to deceive the other parent that they will be visiting family in another state for a short period only to return after the visit. The parent then requests additional time in other state or tells the other parent that they will be staying in the other state and not returning the children. If this occurs, it is imperative to file and serve either a dissolution action or parentage action in California right away and contact an attorney to obtain emergency orders to immediately return the children to California for a proper determination of a custodial plan. Time is literally of the essence as the failure to act immediately can result in the person meeting the residency requirement in the other state and potentially hiring multiple counsel to contest the matter in multiple states.