LAWRENCE S. KATZ, FOUNDER

Miami high net-worth divorces and international family law attorney

Focusing on family law, complex jurisdictional issues, child abductions, and interstate and international family law, Lawrence S. Katz handles even the most complicated matters. He served as counsel of record, mentored or consulted in more than 300 Hague Abduction Convention and child abduction cases. Mr. Katz was the first attorney (and in the majority of cases, the only U.S. attorney) to recover children from:

He was also the first to secure the return of children from the United States to Haiti, Jamaica, Bahamas, Russia, and Trinidad Tobago. In doing so, he has at times assisted the Office of the U.S. Attorney, the FBI and the Canadian Minister of Justice.

Mr. Katz conducted the first mediation in a Hague case in a pilot program for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the U.S. Department of State in November of 2005. He continues to mediate and frequently lectures on the subject.

Attorney Lawrence S. Katz has represented parents looking to relocate with their children from Miami to other countries such as Brazil, Switzerland, Argentina, Germany, France, Belgium, Israel and Canada . In one case, he was appointed by the court and was responsible for drafting the portions of the agreement and the final divorce decree pertaining to relocation, jurisdiction and enforcement. In 2013, he testified as an expert and prepared the final judgment of divorce provisions for the court permitting a mother to relocate to Argentina with her two minor children. The article was for the ABA and then I presented that theory to the Court in the Ichai case that was adopted and affirmed on appeal that provided for temporary absence to Paris and kept habitual residence in the US. It was cited by the GA. S.CT.

Divorce and relocation laws vary among states, just as they do among countries. Mr. Katz frequently represents clients in interstate relocation cases, as well.

Because of his long track record of success and extensive credentials, Lawrence S. Katz is well-respected among Florida family law attorneys, the judiciary, as well as throughout the U.S. and Internationally. He has testified on numerous occasions as an expert witness on international matters, especially those concerning the Hague Abduction Convention, U.C.C.J.E.A., UCAPA, abduction factors and profiles, relocation, drafting and enforcement of court orders. In addition, he serves as co-counsel, drafter of  complex provisions of agreements, court orders and judgments, and as a consultant in international abduction cases, preventive measures, travel, relocation and complex jurisdictional matters.

Contact a dedicated Miami, Florida family law attorney

When you face a difficult family matter, you need a dedicated attorney on your side. We at The Law Offices of Lawrence S. Katz, P.A. have helped innumerable clients solve family law problems for many years.  Our firm works to protect your family’s future. Call 305-670-8656 today or contact us online to schedule a consultation. Se habla espanol.

• Florida, 1968
• Florida Supreme Court, 1971
• U.S. District Court, 1971
• Southern District of Florida, 1968
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, 1971
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1980
• U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, 1981
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 1996
• U.S Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit, 1996
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit, 2014

• J.D., University of Miami, 1968
  • Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity
• B.B.A., University of Miami, 1965
  • Phi Epsilon Pi Fraternity, President

• International Academy of Family Lawyers, U.S. Chapter, June 2014, Bill Hilton Memorial Award for Exceptional Contributions to International Family Law.
• AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
• Listed in the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.
• Fellow, International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)
• Listed in “Who’s Who in America, the World and Law”
• Named among the Top Attorneys in Florida by Super Lawyers, 2010–2019
• Selected for Florida Legal Elite, 2009–2019
• Top Lawyers in Florida 2014-2019
• Received The First Family Law American Inn of Court award for service, 2008–2010
• Awards of Merit from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the U.S Department of State Certificate of Appreciation for Extraordinary Assistance to Hague Convention Applicants.
• Certificate of Recognition from ABA, Section of Family Law for Service as Chair of the International Law Committee

• American Bar Association
  • Criminal Section: International Criminal Law Committee, 1971–1994; Criminal Defense Function Committee, 1989–1996
  • Family Section: Committee on International Law, 1996–present (vice chairman, 2006–2007; chairman, 2007–2009); Domestic Violence Committee (vice chairman, 2009-2011)
  • International Section: International Family Law Committee, 2005–present
• The Florida Bar (Narcotics Practice Committee, 1988–1992; Mental Health Professional in Litigation, 1994–1996; Children’s Issues, 2006–2009; Continuing Legal Education, 2006–2008; Domestic Violence, 1994–1996; Legislation, 1996–2005)
• International Society of Family Law
• First Family Law American Inn of Court (president, 2009-2010)
• Fellow, International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)
• U.S. Chapter of the IAFL, Delegate to IAFL 2010-present, Chairman of the Committee on Hague Abduction Conventions (2010) and member of the Admissions Committee (2010-present)
• Mentor, International Child Abduction Attorney’s Network (ICAAN) and the U.S. Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues Attorney Network

• In Re Cabrera, 323 F.Supp.2d 1303 (S.D. Fla. 2004) (return to Argentina the court found equitable tolling and held that a child should be returned rather than threatened with possible deportation)
• Leslie v. Noble, 377 F. Supp. 2d 1232 (S.D. Fla. 2005) (held that father had rights of custody before, during and after paternity court proceedings in Belize).
• Marcos v. Haecker, 915 So.2d 703 (Fla. 3^rd DCA 2005) (international paternity case involving Spain, Mexico and Florida where a motion to quash service of process was affirmed on appeal).
• Dallemagne v Dallemagne, 440 F. Supp. 2d 1283 (M.D. Fla. 2006) (return to France and provides an excellent analysis of burden of proof and defenses).
• Angulo Garcia v. Fernandez Angarita, 440 F. Supp. 2d 1364 (S.D. Fla. 2006) (return to Colombia and held, in part, that consent to travel is invalid if procured by fraud).
• Hanley v. Roy, 485 F.3rd 641 (11th Cir. 2007) (return to Ireland and held that district court made a “mockery” of Convention refusing to order the return of children to grandparents/guardians).
• Giavis v. Mack, 2008 Fla. App. LEXIS 12974 (Fla. 3^RD DCA 2008) (Pick up order including extensive jurisdictional and Hague Abduction Convention language affirmed).
• Dyce v. Christie, 17 So.3rd 892 (Fla. 4^th DCA 2009) (expedited enforcement of final decree from Jamaica, child abduction, collateral attack of foreign judgment and due process of law).
• Abdo v. Ichai, 34 So.3rd 13 (Fla. 4^th DCA 2010) (PCA affirmed order permitting mother to relocate to France, retaining habitual residence in the United States and transferring jurisdiction to California).
• Sarpel v. Eflanli, 65 So.3rd 1080 (Fla. 4^th DCA 2011) (Temporary absence and the establishment of “home state” subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to the U.C.C.J.E.A. and anti-suit injunction preventing the former wife from attempting to modify the final judgment from Florida and “mirror orders” entered in Turkey).
• Hoke v. Hoke, 141 So. 3d 190 (Fla. 3d DCA 2014) (Order of transfer of case to DC affirmed).
• Morales v Martinez, 4 F. Supp. 3d 1338 (M.D. Fla. 2014) (Order granting petition and return of child to Mexico).
• Sahibzada v. Sahibzada, 2014 Ga. LEXIS 219 (S.Ct. Ga. 2014) (Supreme Court quoted from ABA article on international relocation cited above).
• Carlwig v. Carlwig, 16 F. Supp. 3d 1075 (C.D. Ca. 2014) (Case of first impression on habitual residence by returning infant born in California to Sweden along with older brother where parties had shared intent to do so).
• Carlwig v. Carlwig, U.S. App. LEXIS, 6353 (9^th Cir. 2015) (Infant was not habitual residence of either U.S. or Sweden. Both children shall remain in Sweden).
• Roberts v. Mohan, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 139377 (M.D. Fla. 2015) (Order of return of child to Trinidad Tobago).
• Scudder v Scudder, 228 So. 3rd 703 (Fla. 2d DCA 2017) (Remanded to determine jurisdiction for dissolution of marriage and held no jurisdiction pursuant to the UCCJEA).

• “When the ? Involves an International Move, The Answer May Lie in Retaining U.S. Jurisdiction,” ABA Family Law Section, Family Advocate, Spring 2006. A portion of which was quoted by the Goergia S. Ct. in Sahibzada v. Sahibzada, 2014 Ga. LEXIS 219 (S.Ct. Ga. 2014).
• Author, “Japan and the Hague Abduction Convention”, IAFL Online News, Issue 3, May 2018.

• Lecturer, “Records and the Abducted Child,” Children’s Records Law in Florida, 1999, 2000, 2001.
• Lecturer, Twelfth Annual Nuts and Bolts of Divorce, DCBA Family Courts Committee (2005). “Economic Injunctions/Freeze Orders Domestic and Foreign.”
• Lecturer, “Abduction Factors and Fla. Stat. §61.45 as it Concerns International Visitation and Child Custody,” First Family American Inn of Court (2006).
• Lecturer, Family Law Update 19th Judicial Circuit in St. Lucie County, Florida (2007), “Int’l Child Abduction: Returning Kids Home & Making the Abductor Pay Through Hague or UCCJEA.”
• Lecturer, “Cross-Border Family Mediation with an Emphasis on the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction” sponsored by the University of Miami School of Law and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) (February 2008).
• Participant, ICARA 15 Symposium. Office of Children’s Issues, Department of State, 2003.
• Attended the Fifth meeting of the Special Commission to Review the Operation of The Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction held at The Hague, Netherlands 2006.
• Member of Study Group of the Secretary of State Advisory Committee of Private International Law considering the 1996 Hague Protection of Children Convention, 2007.
• Lecturer, “From Ferreting to Fetching: How to Find, Freeze and Retrieve Marital Assets Hidden Abroad,” ABA Section of Family Law, 2009 Spring CLE Conference.
• Lecturer, “Moving from Kansas to Oz: Competing Paradigms and Practical Issues in International Child Custody Relocation Cases,” Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), 46^th Annual Conference, May 2009.
• Lecturer, “Transnational Families: Where International Law and Family Law Intersect,” 2009 Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies.
• Lecturer, “Mediating International Child Abduction Cases and Other High Conflict Cross-Border Custody Disputes,” ABA Section of International Law, 2009 Fall CLE Conference.
• Lecturer, “Alternative to The Hague by Returning Kids Home and Making the Abductor Pay Through the UCCJEA”, U.S. Chapter of the IAFL, 2011 Annual General Meeting.
• Observer/attendee on behalf of IAFL (NGO) at the Sixth meeting of the Special Commission to Review the Operation of The Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and The Hague Convention of 19 October 1996 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforceability and Measures for the Protection of Children held at The Hague, Netherlands, June, 2011.
• Lecturer, “Case Study: Application to Remove a Child From the Jurisdiction”, IAFL, 2011 Annual General Meeting held at Harrogate, U.K., September 2011.
• Lecturer, “1980 Hague Convention”, Lunch and Learn Seminar Sponsored by Family Court Services, October 2011.
• Observer/attendee on behalf of IAFL (NGO) at the Sixth meeting of the Special Commission to Review the Operation of The Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and The Hague Convention of 19 October 1996 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforceability and Measures for the Protection of Children held at The Hague, Netherlands, January, 2012.
• Lecturer, “Representing the Abducting Parent”, Japanese Symposium, IAFL, U.S. Chapter held at Minneapolis, MN, June 2012.
• Lecturer, “Enforcement of Mediated Agreements”, Japanese Symposium, IAFL, U.S. Chapter held at Minneapolis, MN, June 2012.
• Lecturer, “International Enforcement of Mediated Agreements: Properly Structuring Your Agreements for Enforcement Success.”, IAFL, U.S. Chapter held at Minneapolis, MN, June 2012.
• Lecturer, “Mediating Hague Abduction Cases.” Phoenix Symposium, IAFL, U.S. Chapter, held at Carefree, AZ, February 2013.
• Lecturer, “International Relocation”, IAFL Hague Symposium, held at Colegio Puplico de Abogados de Capital Federal, Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 2013.
• Lecturer, “Domestic Violence and the Article 13(b), Grave Risk Defense”, IAFL Annual Meeting held at Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 2013.
• Lecturer, “2007 Hague Maintenance Convention, 1996 Hague Jurisdictional Convention, the Cuban Adjustment Act and Asylum vs. Art. 13(b) grave risk”, IAFL European Chapter Meeting held at Bordeaux, France, March 2014.
• Lecturer, “The Aftermath of Lozano: Defending Against the Well Settled Defense Under Art. 12”, IAFL, U.S. Chapter held at New York City, NY, June 2014.
• Lecturer, “Hague Abduction Convention and UCCJEA”, Florida Chapter of the AAML, The 37^th Annual Institute, Tampa, FL, May 2015.
• Lecturer, “Asylum and Hague Abduction Convention”, IAFL Hague Symposium, held in Quebec City, Canada, June 2015.
• Lecturer, “UCCJEA or Hague Convention”, IAFL Symposium on International Family Law, held at The Down Town Association, New York City, NY, April 2016.
• Presenter, “Enforcement of The Hague Abduction Convention: A Project for Japan”, International Visitor Leadership Program, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Dept. of State, Miami, FL, December 2016.
• Speaker, “Enforcement, Domestication and Registration of Orders and the Treatment of Alimony Worldwide”, IAFL Symposium on International Family Law, held at The Down Town Association, New York City, NY, April 2017.
• Speaker, “A View From and Presentation to the Bench: Hague International Law Issues and Assessing Flight Risk”, IAFL Symposium on International Family Law, held at The Down Town Association, New York City, NY, April 2017.
• Observer/attendee on behalf of IAFL (NGO) at the Seventh meeting of the Special Commission to Review the Operation of The Hague Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and The Hague Convention of 19 October 1996 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforceability and Measures for the Protection of Children held at The Hague, Netherlands, October, 2017.

• Spanish