A Hague return petition is the legal proceeding initiated in a receiving country to seek the return of a child who was wrongfully removed from or retained outside their country of habitual residence under the Hague Convention.

Hague return petitions are handled through the federal district courts in the United States. They move quickly relative to normal litigation because the Convention contemplates prompt resolution.

Defenses to a Hague return petition are narrow. The most commonly raised defenses are that the child would face grave risk of harm if returned, that the child has settled into their new environment if more than one year has passed, and that the child objects to returning and is of sufficient maturity.