I'm one of them' - Atlanta Attorneys Bring Experience, Empathy to International Families

Enhanced enforcement and visa denials are creating unprecedented challenges for blended-nationality families in the United States.

When Dina Khismatulina immigrated to the U.S. from Russia many years ago, the process was straightforward. Today, increased visa denials, legal status removals for long-time residents, and cross-border custody disputes have made those situations uncertain and complex.

Dina Khismatulina, managing attorney of The Manely Firm’s Atlanta office, said that international families face heightened pressures amid ongoing wars and lingering fears from ICE raids. Her perspective is shaped by both professional practice and personal background.

“I’m also a parent, a wife, an immigrant and an attorney who has a career, and I have a very large number of friends who are international. I really can relate to the issues because I’m one of them,” Dina Khismatulina said.

Hague Convention Cases Face Jurisdictional Hurdles Without Travel Agreements

Couples with children face severe jurisdictional hurdles during separations when cross-border travel lacks formal documentation. Without written travel agreements, establishing jurisdiction under The Hague Convention on Childhood Abduction of 1980 becomes significantly more difficult.

Why Jurisdiction Matters in International Custody Cases

The Hague Convention is a treaty with more than 90 signatories that lays the groundwork for establishing which country’s courts will determine custody, rather than examining family dynamics or parenting quality.

“Hague Convention cases are not designed to deeply look into family dynamic or determine who is a better parent. They are simply the instrument that will determine jurisdiction, meaning which country will decide with which parent the child should live,” Dina Khismatulina said.

To mitigate these risks, attorneys advise drafting explicit travel agreements that establish exact return dates, durations, and the purpose of foreign travel before any border crossings occur.

Reporting Abuse Across International Borders Complicates Legal Remedies

The Manely Firm has observed an increase in consultations regarding how to report abuse across international borders without inadvertently implicating the complaining parent under unfamiliar foreign laws.

Different nations enforce distinct family statutes that complicate legal remedies. For instance, some Middle Eastern jurisdictions rely on rigid rules tied to religion or gender rather than the child’s immediate welfare. Meanwhile, India claims jurisdiction over marriages through its Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 even for citizens who have left the country, and the country does not abide by The Hague Convention.

Jurisdiction serves as a vital tool in international litigation. Failing to protect jurisdictional rights can leave expats subject to legal systems that are divergent or hostile to those of one’s own home country.

Atlanta Consular Corps Briefing

To address these systemic challenges, The Manely Firm’s founding partner Michael Manely briefed nonprofits, consular officials, and state agencies on Thursday during an interactive, inter-agency roundtable hosted at the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta.

Representatives from at least six consulates attended the event. A subsequent panel featured members from the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta – Protection Division, the Georgia Division of Family and Child Services, the Georgia Office of the Child Advocate, and Children’s Advocacy Centers of Georgia.