International family law barrister in London.
Cross-border divorce, jurisdiction disputes, overseas assets, international child arrangements, Hague Convention applications and enforcement. Clear advice when family life and the law span more than one country.
Called 2007 · Public Access accredited
Legal 500 recommended · FOURTEEN Chambers
Cross-border focus
Jurisdiction, overseas assets, children and Hague applications.
What international family law covers
International family law is the body of rules and practice that applies when a family dispute has a connection with more than one country. That connection may be where the parties live or are domiciled, where a marriage was celebrated, where assets are held, or where a child is habitually resident. Getting jurisdiction and the applicable law right at the outset often determines where the case is fought and what outcomes are realistic.
In divorce and financial remedy cases, disputes frequently arise over which court should hear the petition, how overseas property and business interests are treated, and how an English order can be enforced abroad. In children cases, the issues include relocation (leave to remove), international contact, and applications under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction for the return of a child wrongfully removed or retained.
Seema Kansal is a family law barrister at FOURTEEN Chambers in Gray’s Inn, London. She advises and appears in cross-border family matters for solicitors and, where suitable, for members of the public under Public Access — combining domestic financial remedy and children experience with the procedural and strategic issues that arise when borders are involved.
International and cross-border work
Jurisdiction & forum
Which country’s courts should hear the divorce or children case — and how to protect or challenge jurisdiction under English rules.
Cross-border divorce & finance
Financial remedy where assets, income or pensions sit overseas, including valuation and enforcement issues.
Overseas assets
Property, companies and other interests held outside England and Wales in the context of a financial remedy claim.
Hague Convention
Applications for the return of children wrongfully removed or retained across borders under the 1980 Hague Convention.
Relocation (leave to remove)
Applications to take a child to live abroad permanently, and opposition to such applications, decided on welfare principles.
International contact & enforcement
Arrangements for contact across borders and the recognition and enforcement of family orders in other jurisdictions.
Why jurisdiction matters in cross-border divorce
In cross-border cases the first question is often not “what is a fair financial outcome?” but “which court should decide?”. The answer affects procedure, available remedies, speed and cost. English courts apply domestic rules on jurisdiction in divorce and financial remedy; parallel proceedings in another country can lead to a race to issue and to complex arguments about stay or forum.
Early advice on whether England and Wales has jurisdiction — and whether it is the right forum — can protect a client’s position before the other party seizes a court elsewhere. That advice sits alongside the substance of any financial or children claim, including how overseas assets will be treated if the English court is seised.
Hague Convention, abduction and relocation
When a child is taken or kept abroad without the consent of a person with parental responsibility, or in breach of a court order, the 1980 Hague Convention provides a route to seek the child’s prompt return to the country of habitual residence. These applications are urgent. They turn on habitual residence, wrongful removal or retention, and limited defences — not a full welfare enquiry of the kind used in domestic children cases.
Separate from abduction are relocation cases: one parent seeks permission to take a child to live permanently in another country. Those applications are decided on the child’s welfare under the Children Act, with careful attention to the proposed arrangements in the destination country and the effect on the relationship with the parent left behind.
Seema is instructed in international children work alongside her domestic children and financial remedy practice, so that strategy can take account of both the cross-border issues and the wider family dispute.
International family law with a clear London base
Seema Kansal was called to the Bar in 2007 and practises from FOURTEEN Chambers at 14 Gray’s Inn Square, London. She is Public Access accredited and Legal 500 recommended. Cross-border instructions sit within a broader family practice covering financial remedy and private law children — so jurisdiction, assets and children can be advised on as a whole.
Divorce and financial remedy with a cross-border element.
Relocation, international contact and Convention return applications.
Direct instruction where the case is suitable under BSB rules.
Instruct an international family law barrister directly
Under Public Access, members of the public can instruct Seema Kansal for advice and representation in suitable cross-border family cases without first instructing a solicitor. Suitability is confirmed at the initial enquiry.
Learn more about Direct Access →International family law — common questions
Speak to an international family law barrister
Confidential enquiries welcome from solicitors and from members of the public under Public Access.