Colombia family lawyer
When a family matter crosses the border between the United States and Colombia, the legal questions multiply quickly. A divorce, a child-custody dispute, a property division, or a support obligation that involves parties, assets, or court orders in both countries requires counsel who understands the US legal framework and can coordinate effectively with a Colombian-admitted attorney. Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. is a US law firm founded in 1997 that serves international clients with US legal needs, including cross-border family law matters. Mr. Sris, the firm’s founder and managing attorney, is admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. For the Colombian-law side of a matter, the firm works with Eric Duport Jaramillo, Of Counsel, who is admitted to practice law in the Colombian bar and is not admitted in any US state bar.
What a cross-border family law practice covers
A cross-border family law practice addresses the legal issues that arise when a family relationship or its dissolution involves more than one country. For a client with ties to both the United States and Colombia, the practice may include international divorce, child custody and visitation across borders, spousal and child support enforcement, division of marital property located in two countries, and the recognition of a foreign marriage or divorce decree in a US court.
On the US side, the governing law is the domestic relations statute of the state where the action is filed—for example, Title 20 of the Virginia Code for a Virginia proceeding. US courts apply familiar conflict-of-laws doctrines, including the principle of lex loci celebrationis, under which a marriage validly contracted under the law of the place where it was celebrated is presumptively recognized as valid in the United States, subject to narrow public-policy exceptions. The US court will also determine whether it has personal and subject-matter jurisdiction over the parties and the issues, and whether a foreign judgment is entitled to comity. The firm’s US-admitted attorneys handle every aspect of the US proceeding—from filing the initial pleading to presenting evidence at trial—while the Colombian Of Counsel provides the Colombian-law analysis and, when necessary, appears before Colombian authorities on the Colombian-law component.
How Mr. Sris and his Of Counsel network handle these matters
Cross-border family law matters are handled through a structured collaboration between the firm’s US-admitted attorneys and its Colombian-admitted Of Counsel. Mr. Sris and the US-licensed attorneys of the firm are responsible for all US-law work: drafting pleadings, conducting discovery, negotiating settlements, and appearing in US state and federal courts. Eric Duport Jaramillo, Of Counsel, admitted to practice law in the Colombian bar and not admitted in any US state bar, handles the Colombian-law side—interpreting Colombian family law, coordinating with Colombian courts and agencies, and advising on the enforceability of US orders in Colombia. The two sides work together under a clear jurisdictional division: the US attorney does not practice Colombian law, and the Colombian attorney does not practice US law.
For a typical cross-border divorce, the US attorney files the complaint in the appropriate state court, serves the other party (using the procedures of that state and, if the defendant is in Colombia, the applicable international service mechanism), and litigates the grounds for divorce, property division, and support under US law. Simultaneously, the Colombian Of Counsel advises on whether the marriage is valid under Colombian law, whether a Colombian court would recognize the US divorce, and what steps are needed to protect assets or custody rights in Colombia. The firm’s approach is to keep the client informed at each stage and to ensure that no action taken in one country inadvertently harms the client’s position in the other.
About Mr. Sris and the firm’s Of Counsel network
Mr. Sris, the founder and managing attorney of Law Offices of SRIS, P.C., is a former prosecutor admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. He has practiced law since 1997 and has built a firm that serves clients across the United States and internationally. Mr. Sris testified before the Virginia House Courts of Justice Committee in support of 2019 HB 635 (chief patron Del. David Bulova), the bill that became the 2019 revision to Va. Code § 20-107.3(g). His experience includes complex family law litigation, and he leads the firm’s US-side representation in cross-border matters.
For Colombia-law matters, the firm works with Eric Duport Jaramillo, Of Counsel, admitted to practice law in the Colombian bar and not admitted in any US state bar. Mr. Duport Jaramillo’s practice with the firm is limited to matters of Colombian law and to serving as a liaison for international clients with the US-admitted attorneys. The firm’s location in Pereira, Colombia, is by appointment only. Mr. Sris and his Of Counsel bring extensive combined legal experience to cross-border family law cases, always maintaining the jurisdictional separation required by the rules of professional conduct in both countries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need both a US-admitted lawyer and a Colombian-admitted lawyer for a cross-border family matter?
Yes—a cross-border family matter typically requires counsel admitted in each jurisdiction where a legal issue arises. The US-admitted attorney handles the US court proceeding, while the Colombian-admitted attorney addresses Colombian-law questions such as the validity of a marriage, the enforceability of a US order in Colombia, or the protection of assets located in Colombia. Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. provides the US-admitted attorney, and the firm’s Of Counsel, Eric Duport Jaramillo, provides the Colombian-law representation. The two attorneys collaborate but do not practice law in each other’s jurisdiction.
How does a US court treat a marriage that took place in Colombia?
Under the doctrine of lex loci celebrationis, a marriage that was validly contracted under Colombian law is presumptively recognized as valid by a US court. The party seeking recognition typically needs to present an authenticated copy of the Colombian marriage certificate. The US court will examine whether the marriage complies with Colombian formalities and whether any US public-policy exception applies. The firm’s US-admitted attorneys handle the recognition proceeding, while the Colombian Of Counsel advises on the Colombian-law validity of the marriage.
Can a US child-custody order be enforced in Colombia?
Enforcement of a US custody order in Colombia depends on Colombian law and procedure. The US order must first be presented to a Colombian court, which will determine whether to recognize and enforce it under Colombian legal standards. The firm’s Colombian Of Counsel, Eric Duport Jaramillo, handles the Colombian enforcement proceeding, while the US-admitted attorneys ensure that the US order is properly authenticated and that any necessary US-court findings are in place. The two sides coordinate to avoid conflicting orders.
What should I bring to a consultation about a cross-border family law matter?
Bring any marriage certificate, divorce decree, custody order, support order, or property deed from either country, along with a summary of the current situation. If documents are in Spanish, a certified translation is helpful but not required at the initial stage. The consultation will focus on identifying which legal issues are US-law issues and which are Colombian-law issues, and on outlining a strategy that respects both legal systems. Contact Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. at (888) 437-7747 to schedule a consultation.
How does the firm divide the work between the US attorney and the Colombian attorney?
The US-admitted attorney handles every aspect of the US legal proceeding, and the Colombian-admitted attorney handles every aspect of the Colombian legal proceeding. The two attorneys communicate regularly to ensure that the client’s overall position is protected, but neither attorney practices law in the other’s jurisdiction. The client receives a single point of contact—the US-admitted attorney—who coordinates the cross-border strategy and keeps the client informed of developments in both countries.
Does the firm have a location in Colombia?
Yes—Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. has a location in Pereira, Colombia, by appointment only. The Pereira location supports the firm’s Colombia practice and provides a convenient meeting point for clients in Colombia. All US-law work is performed by attorneys admitted in the United States, and all Colombian-law work is performed by the firm’s Colombian-admitted Of Counsel. The Pereira location does not change the jurisdictional division described above.