Part V Family Law, 24 Financial Relief

Subject(s):

Choice of law clauses — Marriage — Matrimonial causes — Jurisdiction under the Brussels-Lugano Regime

This chapter examines three main questions of private international law that arise from petitions for financial relief: the jurisdiction of the English court; the power to order relief after a foreign divorce/dissolution, annulment or legal separation; and the recognition and enforcement of foreign decrees or orders in relation to financial relief. It first considers the jurisdiction of the English court under the general jurisdictional rules, the Brussels/Lugano system, Maintenance Regulation, and Lugano Convention before discussing the powers of the English court to grant financial relief after a foreign divorce/dissolution, annulment or legal separation. It also analyses the choice of law rules governing financial relief, along with the recognition and enforcement of foreign orders, and concludes with an overview of international initiatives such as the Hague Conference on Private International Law.