When a family law matter crosses international boundaries, it is critical to work with experience attorneys who are equipped to handle all aspects of local and international family law.  GILS Group works with a global network of local counsel and understands the importance of building a local and international team of attorneys that can provide comprehensive analysis and advice regarding the issues that impact the family domestically and internationally. 

We have the ability to combine our experience in the family law arena with the challenges that face couples dealing with international issues.  While no one can practice and understand the laws in all countries, what GILS Group can provide is a network of attorneys in various international jurisdiction that will work as co-counsel to provide analysis of the governing statutes, cases or treaties that practically impact our clients’ actual circumstances in the various legal systems that are in issue.

Our team is sensitive to struggles couples face when dealing with child custody when the children need to travel to out of country for custodial time with the other parent.  The Hague Convention is a treaty that often, but not always, affects families in international custody situations.  The Convention was designed to protect children by designing aninternational procedure for their prompt return to a county of habitual residence.  It is important to have a team of attorneys that know whether a country not only participates, but also honors the Convention when entering into a custody and visitation agreement.  In the event a county does not participate or honor the Convention, then it is even more important to understand the procedures the other country follows in determining risks and making sound decisionwith regard to international custody exchanges. 

The founding partners of GILS Group value continued education and are always seeking to expand their existing network of attorneys and professionals versed in this area.  The founding partners of GILS Group are members of the International Family Law Committee and International Law Section of the American Bar Association.  In addition, the attorneys are active in the American Immigration Lawyers Association as often there arenumerous immigration matters intertwined with the family law issues. 

The members of the GILS Group team are licensed in numerous jurisdictions within the United States such as the District of Columbia, Florida and Missouri.