Personal: International aspects and ex-pats

Davies and Partners are frequently involved in cases with a significant international element. One or both of the parties may be a foreign national. The couple may have been married abroad or have property abroad. There may be a connection with two or more different countries.

There is a large ex-pat community which lives abroad on a permanent or temporary basis.

In cases involving an international element, the client's may have some very important decisions to make at an early stage such as whether to commence divorce proceedings in one country rather than another. Davies and Partners can only advise on matters of English Law. But there may be better options for you to issue proceedings abroad. We will discuss these options with you and assist you in contacting a lawyer who can advise in other jurisdictions. The outcome can be quite different depending on where you issue.

The position in E.U. countries concerning divorce is governed by a treaty which means that the first petition to be issued is important and it is almost certainly not possible to effectively issue proceedings in another E.U. country.

Further there are rules as to whether you can issue proceedings in a particular country. Davies and Partners have acted for client's living in many foreign countries and we have advised clients living in the UK who have connections with other countries.

It is important to obtain the right advice at an early stage. If you live abroad and it is not practical for you to meet with us, we can act for you subject to opening up clear lines of communication by telephone email and fax. There are some additional requirements with regard to the UK money laundering regulations in terms of providing identification documents and we will explain to you exactly what is required.

If you wish to discuss matters with one of our team concerning your situation please do not hesitate to contact us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone us. Click here for our contact details.