Divorce & Family Lawyers for Europe–California Cases
Helping Europe–California families navigate cross-border divorce and family law
You got married in Europe, built a career in California, and your children have dual passports. Now your marriage is ending, and you’re facing two legal systems.
Provinziano & Associates is an international divorce and family law firm in California, focused on Europe-California divorce and cross-border custody. We represent clients across the EU, the EEA, and Switzerland, as well as Californians with children or assets in Europe.
Alphonse Provinziano, our lead international family law attorney, is a Certified Family Law Specialist and a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), a distinction held by a select group worldwide focused on complex international family matters.
He is backed by our Beverly Hills-based team, which has handled over 3,000 family law cases and brings 100+ years of combined experience in family law.
Who We Serve in Europe
Our clients include dual citizens, diplomats, entrepreneurs, professionals, and high-net-worth families with ties to both Europe and California.
We regularly work with clients in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, and Ireland.
Common situations we handle:
- A spouse in Europe facing a California divorce that affects property or businesses held in the EU
- A California resident whose former partner and children now live in Europe, who needs custody orders that actually work across borders
- Parents involved in Hague Convention child abduction cases between California and Europe
- Spousal or child support disputes where income flows through both Europe and California
- Cases where you need a court order from one country to be recognized and enforced in the other
If any of these apply, get advice before taking the next step:
- A child may travel, relocate, change schools, or be kept abroad
- Either spouse may file first in Europe or California
- There is property, income, or a business in both places
- There is an existing order that needs to work across borders
What European Clients Should Know About California Family Law
If you’re familiar with how family law works in Europe, California may come as a surprise.
- Filing: To file for divorce in California, either spouse generally must have lived in California for 6 months and in the county for 3 months.
- Financial disclosure: Both sides are expected to exchange detailed information about income, assets, debts, and spending early in the case.
- Children: Custody orders are built around a parenting plan, including schedules, travel, and decision-making.
- Property: California often treats income and growth during the marriage as shared, even if held in one name.
- Support: Child support usually starts with a statewide guideline formula based largely on income and parenting time, and spousal support is set based on incomes and other case factors.
- California divorce waiting period: You cannot be legally divorced until at least 6 months.
How Our Europe-California International Divorce Lawyers Help
We handle a wide range of international divorce and family law disputes for clients whose lives run between Europe and California. We run the California side, and we coordinate with trusted lawyers in the relevant European country, so that everything works toward the same goal.
Choosing the Right Court
More than one court may be able to take the case, but each can lead to very different outcomes.
Even within the EU, family law is not the same everywhere. The country involved can affect which law applies and how marital agreements are treated, which can change leverage, timing, and settlement options.
We work with top European attorneys to figure out early which court is best for your case and long-term goals.
Divorce and Separation Services Across Europe and California
Our international divorce attorneys represent spouses and partners in divorce, legal separation, and annulment cases, including situations involving significant assets, business interests, military service, or LGBTQ+ family law issues.
We help with filing paperwork, serving documents internationally when needed, getting temporary orders for support or property use, and building a clear, evidence-based case that shows the court your marriage, your contributions, and your assets.
Spousal Support (Alimony) and Maintenance
If you’re seeking spousal support, we show how you made sacrifices or helped build the business. If you’re responding to a claim, we challenge inflated demands, review budgets, and argue for support that’s fair and realistic.
We handle both temporary and long-term spousal support, and if you have a European agreement or court order, we work with local counsel to factor that into your case.
Child Support and Child Maintenance
Child support is about making sure a child has what they need in each home over time, not about punishing either parent.
We represent parents seeking support, parents responding to claims, and parents who need to modify existing orders because income, living situations, or the child’s needs have changed.
In higher-income cases, we look closely at bonuses, stock, and international income to push for fair, realistic, and enforceable results.
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
We draft, review, and negotiate terms in the agreements, explaining how they are likely to be read by a California judge, and working with European counsel to understand how local regimes and any marital contracts may interact with what you sign here.
When appropriate, we help create coordinated agreements designed to be recognized and enforceable in both systems.
Child Custody and Parental Rights Between European Countries and California
For most parents, the biggest worry is their children. We handle parentage and custody cases, including temporary, emergency, modified, and long-term custody orders.
Child Custody Between Europe and California — We represent parents in disputes about where a child will live, how parenting time is shared, and who makes major decisions. We build a clear case that advocates for your role in their life.
Hague Convention and International Child Abduction — When a child is taken or kept abroad without permission, we represent both sides in Hague Convention cases. We coordinate with European authorities to seek return or defend against it, always with the child’s safety and the larger custody case in mind.
Relocation and International Move-Aways — We handle cases where a parent wants to move a child to another country or state and the other parent agrees, disagrees, or has not yet decided.
Enforcement of Judgments Between California and Europe
We help clients enforce California judgments in Europe and European orders in California.
That includes reviewing support, property, or custody rulings; working with local attorneys on registration and service; and preparing the documents and translations courts need to act. We guide the process in both directions so nothing gets lost between systems.
High Asset Divorce, Marital Property and Asset Division
Cross-border high-asset divorce usually involves layered property, investments, and debt that need to be untangled.
We build a clear financial picture and then argue for outcomes that reflect how wealth was really built, whether through direct earnings and management or through the work of the spouse who supported that growth at home or as a quiet investor.
Business Interests
We map business structures, including holding companies, subsidiaries, and ultimate beneficial ownership arrangements, to understand control and cash flow.
Bank Accounts, Retirement, and Private Wealth
From EU-based banking structures, trusts, and investment platforms to pensions, stock options, and luxury assets, we assess what’s likely to be shared or separate.
Hidden Assets and Disclosure
If there’s concern about missing or moved assets, we work with forensic accountants to trace funds through financial records and trusts. When financial transparency falls short, we seek court orders to get the documents.
How We Work With European Counsel
We do not give domestic legal advice on European national law. Instead, we work in direct partnership with attorneys in the relevant European countries.
We handle California. European lawyers handle their country. From the beginning, we share key information, agree on who files what and when, and stay coordinated so court actions, negotiations, and enforcement in both places are working to the same plan rather than pulling in different directions.
We work regularly with leading family law firms across Europe, including in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, Switzerland, and the Benelux region.
Here’s How Our Europe-California Family Law Firm Works With You
Your initial case evaluation and consultation take place over encrypted video, from a private location and time zone that works for you.
Schedule a private case evaluation
After you hire us: Get a tailored legal plan
Resolution through settlement or trial
The Provinziano & Associates Difference
Coordinated California-Europe Legal Strategy
We work regularly with leading family law firms across Europe, including in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, Switzerland, and the Benelux region. We don't refer you to a firm and step back.
Strategic Collaboration Network of Cross-Border Professionals
International family cases often involve questions beyond pure family law. We work with wealth managers, estate planning attorneys, financial advisors, tax specialists, business valuation experts, and forensic accountants in both California and Europe, so decisions are based on solid information. If you already have trusted advisors, we coordinate with them too.
Built for High-Asset Divorce and Global Enforcement
We regularly deal with portfolios that include companies, professional practices, pensions, crypto, investments, and property on both sides of the Atlantic. From valuation and division to hidden assets, support arrears, and mirror orders, we think about enforceability and long-term impact from the start.
Discreet Representation for High-Profile International Clients
Many of our clients are business owners, professionals, public figures, athletes, or heirs. We handle sensitive cases as privately as the law allows, manage public court records carefully, and when needed, coordinate with PR and security advisors so your legal strategy doesn't come at the cost of your privacy.
Litigation & Appeals Experience in Complex Europe–California Family Law
Not every case settles. Our team has handled thousands of court proceedings and appeals in complex custody, support, and property cases. If your case needs to go to trial, we're ready.
Staying Ahead of Cross-Border Legal Strategy
Our attorneys attend specialized programs on European-California family law. Managing Partner Alphonse Provinziano regularly speaks at IAFL conferences and international legal forums and meets with colleagues across Europe. This ongoing learning feeds directly into the advice we give clients.
Trusted by International Lawyers
Our cross-border experience has made us a resource for attorneys worldwide. International lawyers regularly consult our team on jurisdiction strategy, enforcement options, and coordinated filings, trusting us to guide complex cases involving California and European legal systems.
When It’s All on the Line, This Is Who Leads the Room
Alphonse F. Provinziano is a distinguished international family law attorney based in Beverly Hills, California.
He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and a Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS), certified by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization.
These credentials reflect independent vetting, including peer review and demonstrated experience in complex family law cases.
He regularly serves as U.S. counsel in cross-border divorce, custody, child and spousal support maintenance, and enforcement cases involving California jurisdiction, including Hague Convention and international property disputes.
- Fellow, International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)
- President-Elect, Beverly Hills Bar Association
- Super Lawyers: 2021–2026
- Avvo Rating: 10.0 (Superb)
- Former Prosecutor
With over 2,000 cases and 220+ trials, he brings seasoned courtroom strategy to high-stakes international cases involving complex assets, reputation risk, executives, and public figures.
He frequently speaks and moderates to top family law attorneys in both the U.S and at global family law conferences.
Meet Alphonse Provinziano
Managing Partner & Senior Trial Attorney
When It’s All on the Line, This Is Who Leads the Room
Alphonse Provinziano
Managing Partner & Senior Trial Attorney
With over 2,000 cases and more than 220 trials behind him, Alphonse Provinziano is one of California’s most trusted authorities in complex divorce, custody,
support, and property matters.
- A Former Prosecutor
- Certified Family Law Specialist
- Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)
He brings extensive courtroom experience and strategic depth to every high-stakes family law case.
Respected by peers, sought after by clients, and featured in national media, Alphonse also teaches and presents to top family law attorneys across the U.S. and beyond.
Featured in: Bloomberg Law, People, Fortune, Insider, Fast Company, Newsweek, LA Times, The Mirror, and more.
Meet Alphonse Provinziano
Meet
Alphonse Provinziano
Managing Partner & Senior Trial Attorney
Featured in: Bloomberg Law, People, Fortune, Insider, Fast Company, Newsweek, LA Times, The Mirror, and more.
Talk to a California International Family Law Attorney About Your European Case
If your family, assets, or work connect Europe and California, early advice from attorneys who understand both systems can change how your case unfolds.
Whether you are based in Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Zurich, Dublin, or living in California, you do not have to guess how a California court will treat your history, your wealth, or your role as a parent.
Schedule a case evaluation with our team to discuss your options.
Our Beverly Hills international family law team will explain your position, outline realistic paths forward, and help you make decisions that are informed by experience.