Cross-border · A Partlee specialism
Two Passports, One Matter, Run Properly.
Partlee is built for couples who live across borders. Two partners, two jurisdictions, sometimes two languages - and the paperwork that has to work in both. Cross-border prenups, NRI mutual-consent and contested divorce, spousal-visa and immigration coordination, foreign-decree recognition. Agnostic to where you live, where you married, where you are separating. Empanelled counsel in 12+ countries through the Partlee panel.
Partlee handles cross-border and NRI family matters, including divorce, decree recognition, and spousal-visa coordination, with counsel across 12+ countries.
The practice
Six Things We Do Across Borders.
Cross-jurisdictional prenups
An Indian partner and a partner in the UK, US, Singapore, Dubai, Australia, or anywhere else. Drafted to be enforceable in both jurisdictions where possible, transparent about where it isn't.
Cross-border live-in agreements
Cohabitation across borders - one of you in India, one abroad, or both abroad and Indian-origin. PWDV-aware where Indian law applies; foreign-jurisdiction-aware where it doesn't.
NRI divorce (mutual + contested)
Section 13B and Section 13 matters where one or both partners hold foreign passports or reside abroad. Service of summons, video-link hearings, decree recognition in the other jurisdiction - handled.
Spousal-visa & immigration coordination
Spousal-visa applications, dependent-visa conversions after divorce, OCI / PIO matters where the marriage changes status. Coordinated with empanelled immigration counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.
Recognition + apostille
Foreign decrees recognised in India, Indian decrees recognised abroad. Apostille, attestation, sworn translations, and the chain of paperwork that makes a foreign document usable.
Off-platform NDAs + privacy
Cross-border matters often involve more visibility risk - passports, embassies, employers. Anonymised matter codes, off-platform NDAs on request, encrypted channels (Signal, ProtonMail) for every conversation.
Real shapes the work takes
Four Cross-Border Situations We Handle.
Scenario 01
Indian-passport partner in Mumbai, US-passport partner in San Francisco.
Marriage planned in either jurisdiction. Prenup drafted for enforceability under both Indian and California law, with full disclosure schedules accepted in both. Coordination with US counsel on the Partlee panel.
Scenario 02
Both NRIs in Dubai, Hindu marriage solemnised in India.
Divorce filed in India under §13B because the marriage is Indian. Both parties appear by video-link. Decree recognised in UAE through the Partlee-coordinated apostille chain. Spousal visa adjusted where needed.
Scenario 03
Indian woman married to a Singaporean man, separation in Singapore.
Singapore court handles the divorce. Partlee coordinates the matter with empanelled counsel in Singapore, drafts the parallel Indian record needed for ancillary property held in India, and handles the woman's PR-status review.
Scenario 04
Same-sex partnership across India and Canada, drafting a cohabitation agreement.
Indian law does not recognise same-sex marriage; Canadian law does. Partlee drafts a layered agreement - civil partnership / marriage in Canada, cohabitation record in India - with cross-jurisdictional asset clarity.
Empanelled counsel across
Where Partlee Works.
For any jurisdiction not on this list, Partlee coordinates through allied family-law firms on a per-matter basis. Tell us where the matter sits and we will tell you what is and is not possible.
How a Cross-Border matter runs
Two jurisdictions. Sometimes three. Always coordinated.
NRI couples with assets, parents, or hearings in more than one country. We pair local counsel in each jurisdiction and coordinate the file across time zones.
Step I of IV
Scoping call.
Which jurisdictions apply, where the parties live, where the marital property sits, which laws govern. Two jurisdictions is common. Three is not unusual.
Often 2-3 jurisdictions
Scoping call
Often 2-3 jurisdictions
Step I · Scoping call
The four steps, at a glance
See the same arc across every track in the full walkthrough.
For couples across borders
Wherever you are, we can begin.
Common questions
- Can an NRI file for divorce in India?
- Yes, an NRI can file for divorce in India, for example where the marriage was solemnised here or the couple last resided here. Partlee coordinates cross-border matters with empanelled firms and counsel across multiple countries.
- Will a foreign divorce decree be recognised in India?
- A foreign divorce decree is recognised in India only if it meets the conditions of Section 13 of the Code of Civil Procedure, broadly that it was passed by a competent court, decided on merits, and is not against Indian law or natural justice. Partlee helps assess and coordinate recognition.
- How does divorce work when spouses live in different countries?
- When spouses live in different countries, the matter turns on jurisdiction, which law applies, and how any decree will be recognised across borders. Partlee runs these matters with a named coordinator and empanelled counsel across 12+ countries, including spousal-visa coordination.
- Does Partlee handle spousal-visa and immigration coordination?
- Yes, Partlee coordinates spousal-visa and decree-recognition issues alongside the divorce itself, working with counsel in the relevant countries. The legal work is carried out by empanelled professional firms.