Our partner-led, multidisciplinary team offers a truly committed and lasting partnership with our clients, across all of our East of England offices.
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We have family law experts who can assist clients where there are international elements to their family law case. For example, we frequently act for clients in relocation cases where they want to relocate to a different country permanently with their child / children and need the permission of the Court to do so if matters cannot be agreed.
In divorce cases we have extensive experience in assisting ex-patriate clients who live / work abroad, but divorce and financial proceedings are being dealt with in the English Courts. We also assist clients where the other party to the marriage is an ex-patriate who lives / works abroad, and where there are assets / pensions abroad as well. We are also regularly instructed by clients in financial remedy proceedings in the Courts of England and Wales after an overseas divorce.
We can assist clients who have perhaps married abroad and now live in the UK and have separated here, some of whom have pre-nuptial or post-nuptial agreements from a different country.
We have very close working relationships with a network of specialist international family lawyers through the Alliott Group Alliance who we work in collaboration with, often on complex cross jurisdictional issues that affect our clients.
We offer a free exploratory call, so that we can discuss your needs and look to match your specific circumstances with the right specialist family lawyer in our team.
Have a different question?
Get in touchWhether you can initiate divorce proceedings in England and Wales depends on establishing legal jurisdiction, which is primarily based on where you and your spouse are habitually resident or domiciled. You do not need to have married in the UK to get divorced here, provided your foreign marriage is legally recognised. Because different countries approach financial settlements and spousal maintenance very differently, securing legal advice as early as possible is vital to determine which jurisdiction best serves your personal and financial interests before filing any formal court documents.
If you share parental responsibility, you cannot legally relocate abroad with your child without the explicit written consent of everyone who holds parental rights, or a permission order from the Family Court. Moving a child overseas without proper consent can be classed as international child abduction under international law. If you wish to relocate, or if you object to your former partner moving overseas with your child, our international family lawyers can help negotiate a workable arrangement or represent you in court applications, ensuring your child's welfare remains the top priority throughout.
Enforcing an English Financial Order against foreign property, foreign bank accounts, or overseas business interests depends on the specific country where those assets are located and the reciprocal agreements in place with the UK. While the English Family Court can make orders requiring a spouse to transfer or divide international assets, executing those orders effectively often requires registering the decision with local foreign courts or working alongside local legal specialists abroad. Our team provides clear guidance on cross-border asset disclosure and coordinates with international advisers to protect your financial interests.
If you require advice surrounding the law on marriage, divorce, cohabitation, separation and/or children please fill out this contact form. You can also contact your lawyer individually from ‘Our People’ using the link below.
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