Get expert support in resolving international family law disputes from our international family lawyers and solicitors
Described as “making the Magic Circle Firms look ordinary”, our leading team of international family lawyers are recognised by the Legal Directories and Spears 500 as experts in guiding, supporting and representing you through complex family law disputes.
Our international family law experts represent European and other international clients based in the UK as well as expatriates and clients of all nationalities wherever they are based in the world. Some of our clients include high net worth individuals and business owners with multi-jurisdictional connections and assets.
Our international family lawyers, located in both England & Wales and Scotland, are also supported by our membership of Legalink, the international legal network.
Talk to an international family law expert today.
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Accolades
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The team provides an exceptional service of early, clear and realistic advice, very high attention to detail, considered and careful analysis of all realistic angles, and options to ensure that every step is taken at the appropriate time to ensure that the client's interests are best promoted and secured.
Legal 500 2026 -
The team offers a professional service. All of the members of the team I have dealt with have been knowledgeable and committed to getting the best result for the client.
Legal 500 2026 -
The care taken by the team is remarkable and reassuring for clients.
Legal 500 2026 -
An efficient team performing at a high level.
Legal 500 2026 -
A wonderful team who offer pragmatic advice whilst robustly defending the interests of their clients.
Legal 500 2026 -
Weightmans family law department is very dynamic. Being part of a larger firm means that they are able to draw on the expertise of other departments in the firm, which can be extremely helpful.
Legal 500 2025 -
Highly specialised family law team with a breadth of experience.
Legal 500 2025 -
The team at Weightmans is well known and respected in the family law market... They approach complex family law matters in a straightforward manner that is focused on resolution for their clients.
Legal 500 2025 -
The team is made up of extremely capable individuals dealing with complex and high-net-worth work. They are all technically very sound and work in a collaborative way with other lawyers.
Legal 500 2025 -
Weightmans have expanded hugely their family law capacity which is testament to their aspirations within this space... Experience, reputation and depth all add to the overall approach.
Legal 500 2025 -
The family team are totally focused on assisting clients to identify their immediate needs as well as helping them to gain clarity around the future. They take a family focused view and work on the assumption that court action should be avoided if at all possible by working collaboratively with other solicitors.
Legal 500 2025 -
The team provided fantastic communication and sound advice throughout the process. All possible outcomes and costs were set out at the beginning - they couldn’t have been more helpful.
Chambers 2025 -
The team showed total professional attention to detail and gave me inspiration to continue even when things seemed unsurmountable.
Chambers 2025 -
They couldn’t be more efficient and nothing is ever too much trouble for them.
Chambers 2025 -
Clients get what they pay for at Weightmans in that the preparation is meticulous. They are so good at looking after the client and making sure that everything is where it needs to be.
Chambers 2025 -
The lawyers are very experienced with knowledge encompassing a broad range of family law issues. They are adept at dealing with cross-border disputes and I would rate them as very strong in this area.
Chambers 2025 -
Weightmans is very up to speed in the latest legal trends and has good connections with the legal profession.
Chambers 2025 -
Weightmans has technically competent lawyers with a focus on solutions and the team is very pleasant to deal with, which benefits their clients.
Chambers 2025 -
Weightmans is efficient, experienced and professional. The team has an excellent range of experiences and ability, and they provide immediate responses.
Chambers 2025
International Divorce and Financial Settlements
- Forum choice
- Forum disputes
- Worldwide assets
- Division of property/real estate (UK and international)
- Claims against interests in family and other businesses (UK and international)
- Treatment of pensions (UK and international)
- Treatment of on and offshore trusts
- Digital assets including cryptocurrency
- Recognition of overseas orders
- Child maintenance including school fees
- International financial disclosure and asset tracing
- Enforcement
- High net worth divorce/dissolution
International Child Arrangements
- Child arrangements
- Child relocation
- Child abduction/non return of children
- Cross border disputes relating to arrangements for children
- Recognition of overseas orders
- Enforcement
- International surrogacy
International Wealth and Asset Protection
- Marital regimes, prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements and mirror agreements (where advisable)
- Cross border disputes relating to arrangements for wealth protection
- Private Wealth and International Private Wealth
Immigration advice
- for businesses
- for individuals
International family law issues we can help with
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Our other international family law services
I got married abroad – where can I get divorced?
It depends. Whether you can get a divorce (called jurisdiction for a divorce) differs with each legal jurisdiction, which have their own laws and criteria that need to be met. Jurisdiction is often regulated by the parties’ domicile or place of residence at the time of a divorce, and timeframes might apply. As such, where you actually got married (or entered into a civil partnership) might have no relevance at all.
However, the ceremony you celebrated, and whether it complied with marriage laws in the jurisdiction where you married (or entered into a civil partnership), is very relevant. See our answer above regarding religious marriages.
I have discovered my spouse is planning to issue divorce proceedings abroad. What should I do?
You must take urgent legal advice in that jurisdiction and also any other jurisdiction which may host divorce proceedings. The outcome of a financial settlement for you might be very different in one place than another, and expert advice is needed in all possible jurisdictions.
In some jurisdictions the petition issued ‘first in time’ can secure a divorce or dissolution in a particular jurisdiction. Other cases are determined on the basis of which jurisdiction is more ‘convenient’ for the proceedings, for example, where the assets are primarily located (known as forum conveniens). Detailed advice is required as these cases can be very complex.
My spouse/civil partner and I have international connections: where should I get a divorce or dissolution?
You can only get a divorce or dissolution in a legal jurisdiction in which you meet the criteria for issuing proceedings. As explained in our earlier answer, this is often regulated by the parties' domicile or place of residence at the time of a divorce or dissolution.
In some cases, one or more legal jurisdiction might be available to you. In that situation, you would need to take legal advice in each jurisdiction to work out which jurisdiction might be preferable for you to issue proceedings in. In particular, the outcome of a financial settlement for you might be very different in one place than another, and expert advice is needed in all possible jurisdictions.