It is far more common place today for people to marry spouses from different countries and, for that matter, different continents. It is probably inherent in such relationships that the risk of breakdown is greater due to cultural differences and, all too frequently, a sense of homesickness on the part of one of the spouses, as one has had to abandon his/her homeland to live in the homeland of the other.
When such marriages break up, the problem of making the right decision about the future of the children can be even more acute than usual. There is one aspect that forms an increasing part of the caseload of family lawyers. It is that an English husband has a foreign wife, who has lived here for some years, had children here, educated his children here, and then, for whatever reason, decides to divorce. The wife will frequently want to return to her homeland and to take her children with her. Variations on this theme are that an English wife forms a relationship with a new partner
