Our family team understands the ever-increasing international nature of families and family life. We recognize that clients with overseas connections may face different or additional legal and practical issues which need to be considered.

Our international practice has also enabled us to build strong links with highly reputable lawyers abroad who can be called upon at any time to assist with international issues pertaining to divorce, pre-nuptial agreements, financial or children matters.

International legal issues we advise on

We have advised clients located across the world including; other European countries, North and South America, The Middle East, The Far East, India, South Africa and Australasia on the following legal issues:

Marriage and divorce issues

• the recognition and regulation of foreign marriages and religious marriages, particularly Islamic marriages
• deciding when and whether to instigate divorce proceedings in this country when the client has connections to another county
• instigating or defending claims that the client’s divorce should take place in this country

Financial issues

• how the court in this country will deal with foreign assets on divorce
• financial provision in this country following an overseas divorce
• international enforcement of financial orders
• international/cross border family issues for same sex partners and international cohabitation issues
• wealth protection, whether by the use of pre/post nuptial agreements or the establishment of trusts

Children issues

• international relocation with and without children
• child abduction/Hague Convention/Wardship/Inherent jurisdiction proceedings. We are a member of the International Children Abduction and Contact Unit (ICACU) Panel, and one of a limited number of specialist firms accredited to deal with international child abduction and contact cases
• recognition of international judgments for parental responsibility
• recognition under the European Convention of decisions concerning custody of children
• care proceedings with an international element including cases where children might be placed overseas with relatives
• inter-country adoption, both in terms of adopting a child from another country or bringing a child into this country who has been adopted abroad

Creating families

• international surrogacy arrangements – holistic advice from our specialist surrogacy, immigration and private client lawyers
• fertility treatment and donor conception arrangements
• LGBTQ+ families and cross-border considerations