How can I renew my son’s passport without my husband’s consent?

Q: I am currently married, however, my husband is very controlling, first he hid my son’s passport from me until it was expired and now he does not want to renew my son’s passport. I migrated here five years ago and I don’t have any family in the US. I would love to visit my home country with my son. What can I do to renew his passport without my husband’s consent? How do I travel internationally with my son without my husband’s permission? And can I visit another state with my son without my husband’s consent? Thank in advance.

A: Usually one needs the other parent to sign-off on the passport application, or provide authorization. You can always contact the Passport Office to see if there’s any alternative. That said – yes, you can travel domestically with/without your spouse’s consent. If he continues in this controlling behavior, you may wish to consider either marriage counseling or separation/divorce. Call a Westchester Divorce Attorney for more info.