These days it isn’t just senior business executives or celebrity movie stars who have interests overseas. It is not uncommon for couples to get married abroad, live or work abroad or have property overseas.
It may be that you have married a foreign national or are a couple who are foreign nationals that have settled in the UK. When these international arrangements break down, you need specialist advice about how to proceed. This is particularly with regard to whether the UK Court has jurisdiction to deal with your matter.
Unsurprisingly, family law is not consistent throughout the world. Depending on your circumstances you may be able to issue divorce proceedings in another country, or even a number of other countries (‘forum shopping’), and you might find you and your spouse can’t agree which one. There have also been changes to the law governing international divorces as a result of Brexit, and it is important that you seek specialist advice if there is a possibility of either you or your spouse commencing divorce proceedings in another country.
Our family solicitors often advise people about taking action in different countries and have in-depth knowledge about how family law works abroad . Our family solicitors also have considerable experience in dealing with assets held in other countries, particularly where tracing is necessary. As well as having expertise in house, we have built relationships with a large number of overseas lawyers that we can call upon where necessary to deal with a particular issue.
We can help with disputes about where to file for divorce, making financial claims in multiple countries, property and other assets, child relocation and child abduction. Our experience in international cases means we can fully support you in resolving your issues on a worldwide basis.
