The Hague Convention Attorney Network (HCAN) is an all-volunteer network of attorneys. The Department of State administers the HCAN. Attorneys in this network provide pro bono and reduced-fee legal representation in certain incoming Hague Convention return and access cases. Applicants must meet income eligibility requirements to receive the reduced and pro bono rates. To join you must be an active member in good standing of a State Bar in the United States. You must be willing to offer your legal services pro bono and/or reduced fee for qualified individuals. Prior Hague Convention experience is not required. You and the applicant enter into a private attorney-client relationship on mutually agreed terms. You act as private counsel and not as an agent of the Department of State. 

Attorneys in other countries may be included on Attorney Lists maintained by the U.S. Embassy or consulate. Click here information. 

• For more information about the Hague Convention Attorney Network, click here.
• For an enrollment form, click here.

U.S. Department of State Hague Convention Attorney Network

The U.S. Department of State serves as the U.S. Central Authority (“USCA”) for the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (“Convention”). The Convention provides a civil mechanism for securing the prompt return of wrongfully removed and wrongfully retained children to their countries of habitual residence. It also aims to promote the enjoyment of access rights.   

The United States took a reservation allowed by Articles 26 and 42 of the Convention. Thus, the U.S. government is not required to pay for legal counsel or court proceedings. The one exception is if the fees are covered by the legal aid system in the United States. Yet, under the authority granted by Article 7(f) of the Convention, the Department of State strives to facilitate the institution of judicial proceedings. This is where the Hague Convention Attorney Network - and YOU - come in!   

The Department of State administers the HCAN to assist qualified, low-income parents from treaty-partner countries to find attorneys. These attorneys bring Hague Convention cases to court in the United States. The all volunteer network is the Department's primary resource for developing lists of attorneys who are interested in considering whether to represent a qualified applicant in a particular case. These lists are shared with Convention applicants who request pro bono or reduced fee legal assistance. Applicants assess their eligibility based on income guidelines published by the Legal Services Corporation.

While attorneys may provide legal services at no or low cost, applicants may be responsible for litigation-related costs. Attorney fees and expenses may be recovered under the Convention and under the International Child Abduction Remedies Act (22 U.S.C. 9007(b)(3)). States may also have provisions for the recovery of attorney fees if state remedies are pursued.

To keep pace with the caseload, the Hague Convention Attorney Network welcomes new members. To join:

• You must be willing to provide pro bono and/or reduced fee legal services. (You also may be included on full fee referral lists.) 
  
  
• You must be an active member in good standing of a State Bar. (You must not be the subject of any pending disciplinary proceedings.)
  
  
• No prior Hague litigation experience is required. Extensive information about the Hague Convention is available on our website (childabduction.state.gov), and mentor attorneys are available upon request.  (The Department of State plays no role in determining whether a mentor attorney will charge a fee for this service, this is a private arrangement between you and the mentor attorney).
  
  
• Family law background may be helpful but is not required. In fact, many large law firms take Hague Convention cases through their pro bono programs and report great satisfaction with the work. One reason is the opportunity to file Convention return cases in U.S. federal courts.
  
  
• You must submit an enrollment form.

Have questions about the HCAN? Contact our legal assistance coordinator at HagueConventionAttorneyNetwork@state.gov.

Hague Abduction Convention - Legal Representation Options and Procedures in the United States

Legal Assistance Request Forms and Income Eligibility Guidelines