Foreign Marriage & UK Divorce - Live at Your Desk

Introduction

Global mobility, immigration patterns, and international families mean that lawyers in England and Wales are increasingly faced with clients who married abroad, divorced abroad, or whose marital status is unclear across jurisdictions.

Yet many practitioners still assume that:

• A marriage certificate from abroad is automatically valid here
• A foreign divorce is automatically recognised
• Religious or customary marriages have legal status
• Jurisdiction for divorce is straightforward where there is international movement

These assumptions lead to serious professional risks. Recent case law in England and Wales has exposed widespread misunderstanding.

This virtual classroom seminar will equip you with practical, court-ready knowledge to identify problems early, advise correctly, and avoid jurisdictional traps that commonly derail cross-border family cases.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive course will cover the following:

• How English law assesses the validity of foreign marriages
• The distinctions between void, voidable, and non-marriages
• Why many religious/customary marriages aren’t recognised in England and Wales
• The essential checklist when a client says, ‘I married abroad’
• How foreign divorces are recognised under the Family Law Act 1986
• The difference between divorces obtained by proceedings and otherwise (e.g. Talaq)
• Post-Brexit divorce jurisdiction: habitual residence vs domicile
• How marital status can differ across countries and the risks this creates (including bigamy)
• The impact on finances, inheritance, pensions, and immigration status
• Managing parallel proceedings and forum shopping across jurisdictions
• Drafting tips for petitions with foreign elements
• Red flags requiring expert evidence on foreign law
• Professional negligence risks in cross-border family cases
• A practical flowchart to assess status and jurisdiction at the first client meeting

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.