International Family Law

Global mobility is a fact of life. Over a quarter of Australians were born overseas. Over a million live abroad. Australia offers good career opportunities and a good place to raise the kids.

In one respect there is some truth in the cliche "the world is shrinking" but in another respect it is quite misleading because the world is opening up. At any time a banker could be in Hong Kong, Sydney, New York or London.  A geologist could be in Tashkent, Timbuktu, or Tibooburra.

This greater mobility and involvement with other countries can affect family law, and produce transnational aspects not always foreseen. At Pearson Emerson Family Lawyers we recognise people move freely in the world, and need to be alive to the international aspects of their personal relationships. We can assist you to chart a course to your advantage, or at least to provide you with some protection against the downsides of this mobility. We are based in Sydney but have represented clients in many family law cases having international aspects. We act for foreign nationals and Australian locals in family law proceedings.

An aspect of the work we have done and can do is strategic planning to take into account the personal risks of transnational movement and relationships. That might involve a prenuptial agreement that needs to be valid in several different countries. It might involve considering where assets are located or to be located. It might be advising about the risks of moving to another country with children, and making yourself and the family subject to the parenting laws of that country and what that might mean. This may involve some forward planning too.

Our team has the expertise to assist in these matters including:

• International jurisdictional disputes

• International family breakdown

• International child abduction and/or relocation

• Recognition of foreign marriages and divorces

• Registration and enforcement of foreign orders

Susan Pearson and Sheridan Emerson are Fellows of the International Academy of Family Lawyers. Our personal contacts and fellowship of the International Academy of Family Lawyers provide us, and our clients more importantly, with a network of international law firms of high repute so that we can extend those networks to the benefit of our clients and provide them with high quality service.