Private, confidential advice in English & 中文 — Shenzhen · Guangzhou · worldwide by video
Choi & Huang · Shenzhen & Guangzhou · Since 1997
Divorce with a Chinese spouse, child custody and support, property division, prenups, recognition of foreign divorces and inheritance — handled by English-speaking lawyers in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, whether you live in China or abroad.
Start where you are
Family problems rarely fit neatly into one box. Pick the closest situation — we'll show you the key questions and your first steps.
Where to file, which law applies, and how to protect your rights to property and children in China.
Learn moreHow Chinese courts decide custody, what foreign parents can realistically achieve, and visitation across borders.
Learn moreMainland China isn't part of the Hague Abduction Convention. Act fast — here's what actually works.
Learn moreRecognition of foreign divorce judgments so you can remarry, sell property or update records in China.
Learn moreLawful ways to trace bank accounts, property and company interests — and freeze them before they disappear.
Learn moreProtection orders can be issued within 72 hours — within 24 in urgent cases. In immediate danger, call 110.
Learn morePractice Areas
From prenups to divorce, children and cross-border enforcement — in English and Chinese, start to finish.
Agreed and contested divorce, for Chinese nationals, foreigners and international couples.
Custody, visitation, child support — and protecting children across borders.
Dividing homes, businesses and investments; finding hidden assets; prenups.
Foreign judgments, Hong Kong–mainland matters and marrying in China.
Protection orders against domestic violence; wills and inheritance in China.
Estimate a likely monthly range in one minute, using the 20–30% guideline Chinese courts apply.
How it works
A free 30-minute call or video meeting. Tell us what's happening — we listen first.
Your options in China and abroad, a realistic timeline and a written fee quote.
Documents, translations, apostilles, evidence, negotiation and court — in both languages.
Agreement or judgment, enforcement, and making sure it works in your home country too.
Why us
We contact you only the way you choose, never alert the other side, and keep your file to the lawyers handling it.
Most of our family clients are foreigners or live abroad. We plan for how a Chinese outcome will work in your other country from day one.
Family law is stressful enough. You get straight answers about your chances, costs and timelines — no false promises.
Our offices
Our Shenzhen office in Nanshan District is the firm's family-law base, helping expat families, mixed-nationality couples and Hong Kong–Shenzhen cross-border families with divorce, custody, property and inheritance. We work in English and Chinese, in person or by video.
2401, Block A, Chuangyi Kexing Technology Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen
Our Guangzhou office in Tianhe helps foreign residents, international traders and their families, and overseas Chinese with family ties in Guangdong through divorce, custody, property and inheritance matters. We also serve clients in Foshan and Zhuhai from here.
Room 4506, CTF Finance Centre, 6 Zhujiang East Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510623
Trusted by families in China and around the world
“I was convinced that as a foreigner I had no chance of keeping my son. They never promised me anything, but they explained exactly what the court would look at and helped me prove it. He lives with me now.”
“My English divorce meant nothing at the registry here. The team got it recognised in a few months and I only had to go to court once. Calm, clear and always quick to reply.”
“The night I called, I didn't know what to do. By the next evening I had a protection order and a plan. I will always be grateful for how kindly they treated me.”
“The payments had stopped and Hong Kong lawyers told me there was nothing they could do across the border. Choi & Huang used the new arrangement and the arrears were paid. I never had to leave Hong Kong.”
“Three of us, three countries, one apartment in Shenzhen and no will. They sorted out every document and every apostille, and kept all three of us informed on the same WhatsApp group. It was far easier than we feared.”
“We were nervous a prenup would feel unromantic. Instead it turned into a good conversation, with both of us reading the same words in our own language. Worth doing properly.”
Recent results
Primary custody secured
A German father living in Shenzhen lost contact with his nine-year-old son when the mother moved the child to another province. Evidence of his caregiving role and the child's own wishes led the court to award him direct custody, with structured visitation for the mother.
¥3.8M in hidden assets found
A Singaporean wife suspected her husband, who ran a Shenzhen trading company, was moving money before their divorce. Financial analysis traced RMB 3.8 million in transfers and a fabricated loan, and the court gave her a larger share of the community property.
Recognised in 4 months
A Chinese woman divorced in England could not remarry or sell her Guangzhou flat because Chinese authorities still treated her as married. We obtained recognition of the English divorce from the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court in about four months.
Results depend on the specific facts of each matter; past outcomes do not guarantee similar results.
Our Lawyers

Founder
English, Mandarin, Cantonese

Managing Partner
Mandarin, English, Cantonese

Senior Partner
Mandarin, English

Director of International Department
English, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish

Senior Associate
Mandarin, English

Senior Associate
Mandarin, English
Free Downloads
Step-by-step guides and checklists we give our own clients. Free, practical, no jargon.
Free download
A plain-English guide to divorcing in China as a foreigner or international couple — registry or court, jurisdiction, custody, property, timelines and using your divorce abroad.
Free download
Every document you are likely to need for a registry or court divorce in China — identity, marriage, children, property and income — plus apostille and translation rules for foreign papers.
Free download
A bilingual English–Chinese parenting and visitation plan template for separating parents in China — residence, schedules, holidays, travel, support and decision-making.
Guides
A step-by-step guide for Hong Kong residents inheriting a flat, bank deposits or other assets in mainland China: which law applies, the order of heirs, notarisation or court, documents attested in Hong Kong, time limits and costs.
Read the guideSince 2025 China pays RMB 3,600 a year for each child under three, and most provinces have extended marriage leave. How the subsidy works, who can claim it after separation, why it is not child support, and what marriage leave you can expect.
Read the guideNeed to prove your Chinese divorce overseas to remarry, update records or deal with property? How notarial certificates, apostilles and translations work, and why recognition abroad depends on each country.
Read the guideFAQ
Yes. Foreigners can divorce in China by agreement at a marriage registry (generally only if the marriage was registered in mainland China) or through the Chinese courts, which apply Chinese law in contested cases. Whether China is the best place to divorce depends on where your spouse, children and assets are — that's the first thing we assess.
Usually, yes. With a notarised and apostilled power of attorney we can file and appear for you, and we work by video, email, WhatsApp and WeChat across time zones. Registry divorces require both spouses in person, and some courts may ask you to attend certain hearings.
No. Your enquiry is confidential and we contact you only by the method you choose. We never contact the other party unless and until you instruct us to.
Court filing fees for divorce are modest. Lawyers' fees depend on whether the divorce is agreed or contested, the assets involved and whether a party is abroad. Defined work such as divorce agreements and recognition applications is fixed-fee; litigation is quoted in stages. You get a written quote before we start.
A free, private 30-minute consultation in English or Chinese. We'll explain your options, likely timeline and costs, and what to do first — with no pressure to go further.