I worked with a similar case, mum was Canadian dad British. Although mum had full custody the court ordered that she could not return to Canada. It was a very bitter battle. From our understanding had mum gone BEFORE any court order she could not have been made to return.
In the end mum went to Canada on holiday with her daughter and is having a very long holiday indeed. In that particular case dad was trying to make life hard for mum and the best interest of his daughter was irrelevant to winning.
You do need to seek legal advice. We had thought that the fact that mums support network was in Canada would be enough to allow her to return, sadly the judge decided it wasnt.
I wish you luck, get the advice but also ask about if you were to make a move before any court order is in place.
Hi again Dianne..I'm so sorry that my post made u upset and feeling so trapped. U didn't say where u both were married..US or UK? If in the US, then you might be able to or even have to come back here to file for divorce. That could be of great help to you in this situation. I do hope you get legal advice asap so you will know exactly the thing to do. Then you can begin to deal with this and may find it's not going to be nearly as bad as you think..I know the trapped feeling.. I sympathize with you..Again, Good luck, and God Bless.. Keep us posted..:-)