International Divorce Attorney in Houston, Texas
What is an international divorce?
What is an international divorce?
More In This Category
View Transcript
an international divorce is not
something that you think of
instinctively when you hear the term
international divorce so unfortunately i
am not licensed to practice in
scotland however i have clients who are
from scotland i’m not a practicing
attorney in iran but i have clients who
are from iran they may have
marriage agreements mar agreements
different premarital agreements from
many different countries or states those
clients come to texas and they live here
uh either one client is living here or
both clients are living here
they may not be us citizens they may be
here on a visa sometimes work visas l1
l2 those are very common visas that we
see a lot in the houston community and
in texas in general because
oil and gas companies tend to
hire people from other countries to come
and work here so as long as you’ve been
a resident of the state of texas
for at least six months then you can
file for divorce here um it just depends
on what county you’re staying in and so
if you’ve been in houston for at least
three months and you’ve been a resident
of the state of texas for six months
then you can file for divorce here
whether you’re a citizen or not so a lot
of times an international divorce can be
one involving important issues
related to cultural
or or
different types of nationality
considerations or it can just simply be
that that two individuals who may have
to return to their home country decided
that they want to get divorced here in
texas
so there are different considerations
that we have to take in each and every
single case to determine whether or not
you can’t actually file here or whether
or not we can divide the property that
exists in in your marital estate it
doesn’t mean that i get to go to russia
or to some other country to actually
get you divorced it’s you have to meet
the residency requirements here to file
for divorce here
and we can take different considerations
like a pre-marital agreement or
religious considerations cultural
considerations in the divorce
Houston, TX family law attorney Kristy M. Banda explains what an international divorce is. She notes that an international divorce is often more complex than people initially imagine. While she isn’t licensed to practice law in countries like Scotland or Iran, she frequently represents clients from those regions who now reside in Texas. Many of these clients bring with them foreign marriage contracts, marital agreements, or premarital agreements governed by laws outside the United States.
She notes that Texas courts can still handle divorces involving international elements, provided certain residency requirements are met. Specifically, at least one spouse must have lived in Texas for six months and in the county of filing—such as Harris County—for at least three months. Citizenship status does not matter; even individuals in the U.S. on work visas like L-1 or L-2 can file for divorce in Texas.
She adds that international divorces often involve additional layers of complexity—such as cultural or religious considerations, property held abroad, or the possibility that one or both spouses may return to their home countries. Each case requires careful evaluation to determine whether Texas courts have jurisdiction and how marital property can be divided.
Ultimately, she clarifies that while she cannot appear in foreign courts to finalize a divorce, she can guide clients through the Texas process, ensuring that all relevant cultural, contractual, and international factors are properly addressed within the state’s legal framework.
