International divorce lawyers
Over the years we have represented many foreign nationals, both living in or outside The Netherlands. Therefore, we are uniquely equipped to handle cases with international aspects. These include cross border disputes regarding marital property, child custody or alimony/ maintenance.
Who we are
Maria Bowmer: Dutch divorce lawyer
Maria is an Irish national and a native English speaker. She moved to The Netherlands at a young age and she studied civil and business law at Leiden University. Maria has been practicing family law for over 20 years and now focuses on divorces for expatriates, business owners and high net worth individuals.
Rotterdam is one of the biggest ports in the world and is a vibrant melting pot of different nationalities and expatriates. Maria enjoys engaging with clients from all over the world and regularly advises on Dutch law in divorce cases in other countries. She also advises on pre- and post-marital agreements effected in The Netherlands.
Maria is also the creator of Dutch Divorce Lawyer.
Selma Akitürkmen: Divorce lawyer and name change specialist
Selma is of Turkish origin and speaks both English and Turkish. She graduated in law from the University of Tilburg in 2023 and has been with Dutch Divorce Lawyer ever since. As a lawyer Selma not only handles divorce and custody cases, but also specialises in name changes for clients with Dutch nationality living abroad.
Emma Davidson: International family and divorce lawyer
Emma started her career after graduating from law school at Leiden University as a political advisor, but later realised family law was her vocation. She has now been practicing family law exclusively for over 4 years. Emma works as an independent practitioner within the Dutch Divorce Lawyer team. She has an international background and is a fluent English speaker. Besides divorce and complex custody cases, she also has experience with cross border child abduction cases. Emma is a member of the Dutch specialisation association for Family Lawyers and Divorce Mediators, vFAS.
How we work
In our view, a working relationship between client and lawyer doesn’t have to be distant. We work through your problems on both a legal and a human level, so you feel heard. Our pragmatic approach means that we will try and find solutions without necessarily going to court, while defending your interests to the utmost.
In international cases, one of the most important factors is to determine which law and jurisdiction is applicable to your case. Based on this analysis, we advise whether filing for a divorce in The Netherlands is really the best option. We then explore if there is a basis to proceed with an out of court settlement. If yes, then we negotiate the divorce with your spouse’s lawyer. Alternatively, we can apply mediation to negotiate a settlement between you as spouses. However, if parties cannot agree, then we will vigorously defend you in court.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. It would be great to hear from you!