Navigating Cross-Border Divorce
Taiwan & Singapore
SPEAKERS
Fern Wei
Conflict Management Specialist & Adjunct Professor, National University of Singapore
Isabel Chew-Lau
Associate Director, OTP Law Corporation
Practice Area
Family
Training Level
General
SILE Public CPD Points
TBC
Date
Fri, 27 November 2026
Time
2.30pm to 5.15pm
Venue / Format
Online (via Zoom)
Registration Fee
SGD S$250
SGD S$225 early bird rate (register before 30 June 2026)
SGD S$200 for PracticeForte Affiliates only
Conflicts are woven into the fabric of every professional and personal relationship. Before we can resolve disputes, we must first understand what fuels them.
About This Workshop:
When a marriage spans two countries, so does its unravelling. Cross-border divorces introduce a complex web of jurisdictional questions, conflicting legal frameworks, and practical challenges that even experienced family practitioners can find daunting to navigate.
This half-day seminar offers a structured, practitioner-focused deep dive into the legal and procedural realities of cross-border divorce, using Taiwan and Singapore as a detailed case study. Participants will work through an in-depth case analysis examining the full spectrum of cross-border issues—from forum selection and parallel proceedings to the recognition of foreign marriages and the enforcement of court orders. A moderated panel discussion then turns to the practical realities of cross-border family practice: collaborating with foreign counsel, managing language and cultural differences, and evaluating mediation as a tool for dispute resolution.
Presented by Fern Wei, a Taiwan-qualified attorney and court-appointed mediator, and Isabel Chew-Lau, an experienced Singapore family litigator at OTP Law Corporation, this seminar brings together complementary perspectives from both sides of a cross-border dispute. Whether you are advising the foreign party or the local one, this session offers practical insight you can apply immediately.
What You’ll Learn:
- Navigate jurisdiction: Identify the appropriate forum for cross-border divorces and manage the risks posed by parallel proceedings in multiple jurisdictions
- Compare substantive law: Understand key differences between Singapore and Taiwan family law frameworks, including the division of matrimonial assets and orders affecting children
- Manage procedural complexity: Address service requirements for foreign parties and other cross-border procedural considerations
- Handle cross-border issues in practice: Develop strategies for enforcement of orders, dealing with foreign assets, managing relocation and child abduction risks, and addressing immigration and residency concerns
- Recognise foreign marriages and divorces: Understand the registration and recognition process, including how different jurisdictions treat same-sex marriages
- Collaborate with foreign counsel: Know when to refer clients to foreign lawyers, how to co-counsel effectively, and how to manage language barriers and cultural expectations
- Evaluate mediation options: Weigh the advantages and limitations of private and court-connected mediation in cross-border family disputes
Who Should Attend:
- Family lawyers and matrimonial practitioners advising clients with cross-border connections
- Legal professionals handling cases involving foreign-domiciled or internationally mobile parties
- Paralegals and legal executives supporting family law practice In-house counsel in organisations with internationally mobile employees
- Lawyers seeking practical cross-border family law insights applicable to their practice
Meet Your Trainer:
Fern Wei (魏正棻) is a Taiwan-qualified attorney and Managing Attorney of Virtus Law Firm, with seven years of experience in family and civil practice. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Family Law Committee of the Taipei Bar Association and is a court-appointed family mediator at both the Taipei District Court and New Taipei District Court.
Fern is also internationally registered as a mediator with the Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI) and MIKK e.V. in Germany, reflecting her cross-border ADR engagement. Her practice centres on promoting peaceful resolution over adversarial litigation, working with families and individuals in high-conflict situations to guide them toward structured dialogue and durable agreements.
Isabel Chew-Lau is an Associate Director at OTP Law Corporation and a civil and family litigator with nearly a decade of experience advising clients in complex, high-conflict disputes. Her practice spans high net-worth matrimonial proceedings, contested children matters, shareholder and trust disputes, as well as contentious probate and estate planning across multiple jurisdictions.
Isabel regularly works on cases involving extensive discovery, financial investigations, and collaboration with forensic accountants to untangle complex asset structures. In her training and speaking engagements with PracticeForte, she draws on real cases and jurisprudence to offer practical insights on asset protection, estate planning, and managing financial risk in the context of matrimonial disputes.
Cross-border divorce is one of the most demanding areas of family law practice—and one of the most consequential for the clients who face it. Join us on 16 June 2026 for a focused, practitioner-led session that will deepen your understanding of the legal frameworks, procedural realities, and practical strategies that matter most when families and jurisdictions collide.
