International Family Law Attorney

Last updated on September 28, 2026

At The Law Offices of Lawrence S. Katz, P.A., Lawrence S. Katz, an international family law attorney has spent more than 50 years litigating some of the most complex international family law cases in the world. He is recognized as a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), a designation reserved for attorneys recognized by their peers as among the most experienced family law specialists in their respective countries. In 2014, he received the Bill Hilton Memorial Award, the highest honor given by the U.S. chapter of the IAFL, for exceptional contributions to international family law.

He has been retained as a court-appointed expert witness and currently serves as an official mentor for the U.S. Department of State’s International Child Abduction Attorney Network (ICAAN). He also conducted the first Hague mediation pilot program for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

At The Law Offices of Lawrence S. Katz, P.A., Mr. Katz handles international divorces, custody, paternity, asset division, support, relocation and child abduction cases. Courts, clients and other attorneys across the country refer complex international matters to him specifically because of his track record in cases that others say can’t be won.

Your Trusted Adviser For International Family Law

International family law disputes often involve urgent decisions and unfamiliar legal systems. When property, children or financial interests cross borders, every action must be carefully considered. Mr. Katz handles cases involving:

• International child custody and support: A broad body of international law, including Hague Conventions and country-specific treaties, governs how parental rights are asserted, defended and enforced across jurisdictions. The outcome of a custody dispute can turn entirely on which country’s courts have jurisdiction and whether the other country is a Hague signatory.
• International relocation: Whether you are seeking permission to relocate or opposing a move, the legal framework differs significantly from country to country. Mr. Katz has handled relocation matters involving Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.
• International child abduction: Mr. Katz has recovered hundreds of children, including from countries not covered by the Hague Abduction Convention. He is recognized as the first U.S. attorney to successfully recover children from non-Hague nations, including Japan, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
• Offshore assets and foreign businesses: International divorces frequently involve offshore accounts, foreign corporations and international real estate that require tracing, valuation and coordination with foreign legal systems to divide properly.

For additional guidance on cross-border disputes, you may send us a message or call us at 786-304-1180 before taking your next step.

Proven Courtroom Victories And Case Stories

Mr. Katz has argued international family law cases in Florida state courts, federal district courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The cases below come from his published record and cover different countries, different courts and different legal problems, each one showing what this kind of work actually looks like in practice.

Dyce v. Christie, 17 So.3d 892 (Fla. 4th DCA 2009)

In one of his most significant published rulings, Mr. Katz secured expedited enforcement of a Jamaican custody decree, defeated a collateral attack on the foreign judgment and persuaded the court to adopt a principle he had long advocated: when a foreign country’s custody process does not evaluate the child’s best interests, its decisions violate human rights protections under Florida’s UCCJEA. This ruling is now cited by other courts and attorneys handling non-Hague international custody matters.

Sarpel v. Eflanli, 65 So.3d 1080 (Fla. 4th DCA 2011)

After a former spouse fled to Turkey and filed competing custody proceedings to overwrite a Florida court order, Mr. Katz secured an anti-suit injunction freezing the foreign litigation and drafted mirror orders binding both parents in both countries simultaneously. The Florida 4th DCA affirmed, preserving Florida’s jurisdiction and establishing a framework that held up across two legal systems at once.

Alobaid v. Khan, 306 So.3d 159 (Fla. 3d DCA 2020)

Mr. Katz represented a parent in a case that combined domestic violence acts occurring in both the United States and Kuwait with an emergency jurisdictional fight under the UCCJEA. The case required simultaneous command of Florida family law, international service of process rules and the emergency jurisdiction provisions that allow Florida courts to act quickly when a child’s safety is at risk abroad.

Berenguela-Alvarado v. Castanos, 950 F.3d 1352 (11th Cir. 2020)

The 11th Circuit reversed the lower court after Mr. Katz established that the mother had not meaningfully consented to the child remaining in the United States. The appellate court confirmed that the child’s habitual residence was Chile, a determination that turned entirely on how consent and intent were framed and argued at the trial level.

In Re Khan, 2021 Fla. Cir. LEXIS 14685

The Circuit Court opinion written by Judge Zayas in this case, for which the judge was specifically commended by the Florida 3rd DCA, goes deeper on international child custody law than almost any other published Florida trial court decision. It covers international custody decrees, service of process, temporary absence and human rights in a single ruling. Mr. Katz’s arguments at the trial level built the record that made that opinion possible.

These are published decisions that courts and other attorneys now cite. They reflect not just what Mr. Katz has argued, but what he has helped put into the law.

How Mr. Katz Handles These Cases Differently

Most attorneys describe what international treaties say. Mr. Katz uses them as litigation tools. Here is what that looks like in practice.

• Expedited UCCJEA Enforcement. Florida’s UCCJEA statute can be a significantly faster alternative to lengthy Hague Convention petitions when enforcing foreign custody decrees in Florida courts. Rather than waiting months for a Hague process to run its course, Mr. Katz uses the UCCJEA to move cases through the Florida court system on an accelerated timeline. He has lectured on this approach at Case Western Reserve University Law School.
• Economic Freeze Orders. When a spouse begins moving marital assets across borders, acting quickly is critical. Mr. Katz secures emergency injunctions to freeze domestic and foreign bank accounts before wealth can be transferred or hidden overseas. He has published on this subject through the ABA Section of Family Law in “From Ferreting to Fetching: How to Find, Freeze and Retrieve Marital Assets Hidden Abroad.”
• Custom Mirror Orders. Standard custody agreements do not bind foreign courts. Mr. Katz drafts custody arrangements specifically designed to be registered and enforceable in both Florida and the destination country simultaneously, building in legal protection against parental abduction before travel even occurs. He has presented this approach at the IAFL Annual General Meeting.

These are not general best practices. They are strategies Mr. Katz developed, tested in court and published for other attorneys to follow.

Why You Need Attorney Lawrence Katz As Your International Family Law Attorney

Here is why clients and other attorneys rely on him:

• More than 50 years of legal experience, with the firm founded in 1968 and a career devoted entirely to complex family law matters
• First U.S. attorney to successfully recover children from non-Hague nations, including Japan, Iran and Saudi Arabia
• Fellow of the IAFL and recipient of the Bill Hilton Memorial Award (2014), the highest honor given by the IAFL U.S. Chapter
• Court-appointed expert witness and official ICAAN mentor for the U.S. Department of State
• Pioneer of the first Hague mediation pilot program for NCMEC
• Published author through the ABA Section of Family Law on locating, freezing and recovering hidden international marital assets
• Frequent lecturer at Case Western Reserve University Law School and IAFL Annual General Meeting on cross-border custody strategy
• Consultant and co-counsel for other law firms handling international matters nationwide

International disputes require a lawyer who understands treaties, foreign court procedures and the practical realities of enforcing orders across borders. Mr. Katz has built his entire career on exactly that.

Immediate Action Steps For Your International Case

When facing an international child abduction, a foreign relocation dispute or a high-asset international divorce, preparation is critical. Begin gathering the following materials:

• Passports for you, your spouse and your children
• Birth certificates and marriage certificates
• Existing court orders from any country
• Any pending court filings or notices from U.S. or foreign courts
• Travel records, airline tickets or immigration documentation
• Written communications between parties regarding relocation or custody
• Foreign property deeds, mortgage documents or land registry records
• Corporate records for foreign businesses
• Bank statements for domestic and offshore accounts
• Trust documents or estate planning instruments involving international assets
• Prenuptial or postnuptial agreements
• Contact information for any foreign attorneys previously retained

Once you have these materials, the next step is a comprehensive strategic review of your case.

Why Early Strategic Counsel Matters In International Cases

International family law disputes require simultaneous coordination between U.S. and foreign legal systems. The earlier counsel gets involved, the more options are available. Early assessment allows Mr. Katz to determine which court has proper jurisdiction under the UCCJEA, whether the Hague Convention applies to a child abduction claim, how competing foreign court proceedings may affect your rights, and whether emergency relief should be sought in one or more jurisdictions before the other side acts first.

A proactive evaluation can prevent procedural errors that are difficult to correct later, preserve legal standing and position your case effectively from the outset.

Strategic Consulting For Complex Jurisdictional Matters

In many high-level international disputes, clients may already have local counsel handling domestic aspects of their case. Cross-border elements, however, can introduce treaty interpretation issues, enforcement challenges and foreign procedural requirements that demand specialized experience.

For cases involving multiple countries, the firm provides comprehensive consulting on international treaties and jurisdictional conflicts, co-counsel services for attorneys managing domestic proceedings, strategic planning for asset protection involving foreign holdings and guidance on coordinating filings in more than one country.

International Family Law Versus General Family Law: Key Differences

Not all family law attorneys are equipped to handle international disputes. A lawyer experienced in local divorce and custody matters may have no exposure to how the Hague Convention works in practice, how to apply the UCCJEA to a cross-border dispute, how foreign courts handle enforcement of U.S. orders, or how to trace and value assets held in offshore accounts or foreign corporations.

Mr. Katz has spent his entire career in this space. His published appellate record, his standing as an IAFL Fellow, his role as a U.S. State Department mentor and his history of recovering children from countries most attorneys consider beyond legal reach all reflect a level of focused experience that simply is not available from a general family law practice.

Which Country’s Courts Have Jurisdiction?

Jurisdiction in international family law is rarely straightforward. Conflicting filings in multiple countries are common, and the country where a case is filed may claim the authority to decide the outcome. One critical factor is whether the other country is a Hague Convention signatory, which establishes standards both countries are bound to follow. Even then, treaty membership does not guarantee enforcement. The outcome depends on the specific facts, the child’s habitual residence and which court can legitimately claim jurisdiction under the UCCJEA.

For instance, a custody arrangement involving a parent from Spain and a parent in Florida must hold up as well in Miami as it would in Barcelona. Getting that right requires someone who has actually practiced in both frameworks.

Is A Court Order Enforceable In Both Countries?

Many countries recognize and enforce U.S. court orders, but this cannot be assumed. Laws governing enforcement include the UCCJEA and the International Parental Kidnapping Crime Act. Courts in Florida often favor shared custody, but courts in other countries may default to sole custody arrangements. A Florida order that looks complete on paper may be unenforceable abroad if it was not drafted with the destination country’s requirements in mind. Mr. Katz accounts for these differences at the drafting stage, not after a problem has already developed.

How Does Jurisdiction Affect The Outcome?

The choice of jurisdiction can dramatically shift what a court awards. Property division rules differ significantly between countries, and even within the United States, the gap between equitable distribution states and community property states can produce very different results. Filing in the wrong jurisdiction, or failing to file quickly enough in the right one, can determine whether assets are frozen or dissipated and whether a custody order is enforceable.

Early legal advice is critical. Contact Mr. Katz to determine which jurisdiction best protects your interests before the other side files first.

Call An International Family Law Firm To Arrange A Meeting In Miami

Mr. Katz has extensive experience in international child custody litigation and the accompanying jurisdictional issues in these cases. His international family law firm is at the forefront of issues such as parental alienation, sexual and physical abuse of children, and the right of parents to relocate with their children outside the United States. He is committed to protecting your rights and serving the best interests of your children. Contact him today at 786-304-1180 or online to schedule a consultation.