Nowadays, it is more and more common for individuals to find themselves in a situation where they are looking to legally end their marriage to someone who now lives in another jurisdiction or even in another country. Unfortunately, these international divorce cases can still be quite complex despite their rise in frequency. Thankfully, a qualified divorce lawyer can prove to be worth their weight in gold if you find yourself dealing with matters involving an international divorce. Continue reading to learn more about how these attorneys can help.
Legal Enforcement
One of the most significant issues that individuals face when seeking an international divorce is ensuring that the terms of the divorce can be enforced in both countries. This can be especially problematic if the divorce settlement involves matters of child custody or the division of foreign property. Hiring a divorce lawyer will help to ensure you are fully aware of the laws in both countries and allow you to proceed in a way that will ensure your final divorce decree will be recognized by the government in both the United States and your spouse's current country of residence.
Effective Mediation
If you think negotiating fair settlement terms with your spouse is difficult when you are in the same room, you can probably imagine how much more difficult this task can become when they are located in a completely different country. Thankfully, a divorce lawyer can help you to overcome any communication issues which may exist to allow you and your spouse to effectively negotiate the terms of your own divorce settlement. This is especially important when dealing with an international divorce since it can be more difficult for a judge to obtain personal jurisdiction of a resident of a different country. Consequently, the court may be limited in the amount of intervention they can provide if you and your spouse are unable to settle on the terms of your divorce.
Coordination With Foreign Counsel
Successfully obtaining an international divorce will often require the use of legal counsel in the country where your spouse lives. This can result in a whole new host of obstacles such as the need to communicate with and provide documentation to this legal counsel in their native language. Hiring a divorce lawyer to represent you stateside will allow you to delegate the task of coordinating with foreign counsel. Not only can this help to reduce your overall workload, but it can also help to ensure that all international laws are properly observed when exchanging legal documents.
Contact a divorce lawyer for more personal guidance.
