Divorce for NRIs
Ending a marriage while you live abroad, without repeated trips to India or a decree that fails to hold up in either country.
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Est. 1996 · Cross-border legal counsel
Trusted legal services for NRIs and families
across India since 1996.
For nearly three decades we have provided reliable representation in family law, property disputes, inheritance matters, criminal defence and civil litigation. We serve clients across India and Non-Resident Indians around the world.
Established 1996
Nearly three decades of practice
NRI Legal Specialists
Clients in 20+ countries
Representation Across India
High Courts, district courts and tribunals
Online Consultations
No travel to India required to begin
1996
Practising since
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Years of experience
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Countries served
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Practice areas
How we help
Start with the problem, not the statute.
Property Disputes
Encroachment, illegal possession, ancestral land and partition matters, handled for owners who cannot be there in person.
Learn more →Inheritance & Probate
Succession certificates, probate, legal heir certificates and estate distribution for families spread across countries.
Learn more →Family Law
Marriage, separation, maintenance, domestic violence and family settlements, advised with discretion and care.
Learn more →Child Custody
Custody, guardianship, visitation and inter-country parental abduction, for parents living in different countries.
Learn more →Civil Litigation
Contract, recovery, injunction and declaratory suits, argued before civil courts, High Courts and tribunals.
Learn more →Criminal Defence
Bail, anticipatory bail, transit bail, quashing petitions and trial defence, including for clients arriving from abroad.
Learn more →Marriage Registration
Solemnisation and registration of marriages, certificates for visa and immigration use, and apostille where required.
Learn more →Power of Attorney
Drafting, execution, apostille and registration of general and special powers of attorney for use in India.
Learn more →Why Choose Us
Counsel you can reach, from anywhere.
Nearly 30 years of legal excellence
Founded in 1996, our advocates have argued thousands of matters before High Courts, district courts and tribunals across India.
Personalised legal strategy
No two matters are alike. We build the approach around your facts, your timeline and what a good outcome actually looks like for you.
Transparent communication
Plain-language updates at every stage, with clear fee estimates agreed in writing before work begins.
Trusted by NRIs worldwide
Clients across the Gulf, North America, the UK, Europe, Africa, South-East Asia and the Pacific rely on us to handle matters back home.
Experienced court representation
Your matter is argued by advocates who appear in these forums every week, not handed to an outside counsel you never meet.
Responsive legal support
We work across time zones and answer in your working hours wherever possible. Most enquiries get a reply within one business day.
Ethical and confidential
Everything you share stays privileged. We advise you honestly, including when the honest advice is that you do not have a case.
Documents handled end to end
Power of attorney, apostille, attestation, notarisation and translation, coordinated with embassies and consulates on your behalf.
About Us
Three decades of counsel, one enduring standard.
Founded in 1996 by Dipika Chavda, our practice was built on a single conviction, that clients deserve counsel who listen as attentively as they argue. Today we serve Non-Resident Indians and residents alike, from four offices across the country.
Our work spans cross-border family matters, complex property disputes, criminal defense, corporate advisory, and the delicate art of settlement. Each engagement begins the same way: understanding the person before the paperwork.
30
Years of Practice
20+
Jurisdictions served
One roof
Every NRI matter
For the Global Indian
The trusted choice for NRI legal services, since 1996.
We know how hard it is to handle a case in India when you live thousands of miles away. We work directly with foreign counsel, embassies and notaries, keep the paperwork moving, and send you updates in plain language so you always know where things stand.
Experience that matters
Practising since 1996, with the muscle memory of thousands of hearings behind us.
Dedicated NRI support
Family, property, criminal and document work, handled end to end while you carry on with life abroad.
Personal, not templated
We take the time to understand your story before we write the strategy.
Global Reach
From India, to wherever you are.
With offices across India and clients across the Gulf, North America, the UK, Europe, East Africa, South-East Asia and the Pacific, we work wherever your matter needs to be heard. Wherever you are, someone is listening.
UAE
United States
United Kingdom
Canada
Kuwait
Australia
Japan
Fiji
South Africa
Singapore
Qatar
New Zealand
and many more, wherever our clients call home
India ⇌ Dubai
Our Process
Five steps, no guesswork.
- 01
Schedule a consultation
Write to us or send an email with a short summary. We confirm a time that works in your time zone.
- 02
Case evaluation
We review your documents, identify the correct forum and tell you honestly what the matter is likely to involve.
- 03
Legal strategy
You receive a written plan: the steps, the expected timeline, who will handle it and what it will cost.
- 04
Representation
We file, appear and negotiate on your behalf, with regular updates so you never have to chase us for news.
- 05
Resolution
Decree, settlement, registration or clearance, followed by the certified copies and closing documents you will need later.
Case Studies
Matters resolved, names withheld.
Property
Ancestral property dispute resolved for an overseas client
A long-running family dispute over ancestral land in Gujarat was resolved through a combination of civil proceedings and a negotiated family settlement, without the client travelling to India.
Inheritance
Inheritance documentation for an NRI family
We obtained the succession and legal heir certificates required for an estate spread across two states, and coordinated bank and registry formalities on the family's behalf.
Family Law
Complex matrimonial proceedings across jurisdictions
Where proceedings had been filed both abroad and in India, we advised on jurisdiction, protected our client's position in the Indian forum and reached a mutual-consent resolution.
Documentation
Power of attorney executed from abroad
Drafted, apostilled and registered a special power of attorney so a client in North America could complete a sale in India through a trusted representative.
Practice Areas
Everything else we handle.
01
NRI Services
Cross-border representation for Non-Resident Indians navigating family, property, and personal matters across jurisdictions.
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02
Dispute Resolution
Strategic litigation and alternative resolution across civil, criminal, and commercial forums.
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03
Family Law
Sensitive counsel in matters of marriage, custody, adoption, and modern family formation.
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04
Inheritance, Wills & Estate
Preserving legacies through meticulously drafted instruments and succession planning.
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05
Corporate & Commercial
Advisory for founders, boards, and enterprises operating within and beyond India.
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06
Real Estate
Due diligence and conveyance for individual buyers, developers, and infrastructure ventures.
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The Founder
Dipika Chavda
Founder & Managing Partner
A practitioner for three decades, Dipika built Chavda Law Associates on the principle that clients, not cases, come first. Her practice bridges Indian statutory law with the realities of diaspora life, and she has counseled clients from four continents on matters they could not entrust to just anyone.
Presence
Four cities. One standard of care.
Head Office
21.19° N · 72.83° E
Surat
M/5, Western Plaza
Adajan Hazira Road
Surat, Gujarat
02
18.97° N · 72.82° E
Mumbai
19/9, Shantinagar
Jacob Circle
Mumbai, Maharashtra
03
30.75° N · 76.78° E
Chandigarh
Sector 15/B
Chandigarh
04
22.72° N · 75.86° E
Indore
Rajani Bhawan, Gate No. 2
Opposite High Court, M.G. Road
Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Journal
2-Minute Reads. Know your law.
01
Family Law
Restitution of Conjugal Rights, Consent, and the Question of Marital Rape
02
NRI
Repatriating Mortal Remains to India: A Humane and Much-Needed Clarification
03
Family · Constitutional
Conversion for Convenience vs. Freedom of Choice: Allahabad High Court on Conversion-for-Marriage
04
Perspective
The #1 Mistake People Make When Sharing Legal Problems (Emails, Social Media & DMs)
05
NRI · Customs
BMTFT: The Legally Risky World of "Bring Me That From There"
06
Perspective
Operation Sindoor: India's Precision Strike Against Terrorism
Can NRIs hire your firm remotely?
Yes. Most of our NRI clients never meet us in person. Consultations are held by video call or phone, documents are exchanged securely by email, and we act for you in India under a power of attorney where the matter requires it.
Do I need to travel to India?
In most matters, no. Courts increasingly permit representation through counsel and, where personal appearance is unavoidable, we tell you well in advance so you can plan a single trip rather than several.
How are consultations conducted?
By video call, telephone or email, scheduled to suit your time zone. Write to consultation@chavdalaws.com with a short summary of your matter and we will confirm a time.
What documents are required to begin?
It depends on the matter, but usually identity and address proof, any agreements, notices or court papers you already have, and property or marriage documents where relevant. We send you a precise checklist after the first consultation.
How are legal fees charged?
We agree fees in writing before work starts. Depending on the matter this may be a fixed fee for documentation and registrations, or stage-wise fees for litigation. There are no surprise charges.
Which courts do you practise in?
Our advocates appear before High Courts, district and sessions courts, family courts, consumer forums, tribunals and quasi-judicial authorities across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, with associated counsel elsewhere in India.
Begin
Bring us your most difficult matter.
All NRI appointments are scheduled by email. Written correspondence is our preferred first contact, it lets us prepare thoroughly for our conversation.
Schedule a Consultation