Chinese Law Expert Evidence · Shanghai × London
Our PRC-qualified lawyers act as expert witnesses on Chinese law in proceedings before the courts of England and Wales — child arrangements, recognition of Chinese divorces, matrimonial property and the enforcement of judgments — as Single Joint Expert or party-appointed expert.
Reports compliant with FPR Part 25 / CPR Part 35
Bilingual drafting with statement of truth
Oral evidence in person or by video link
Shanghai and London offices working together
Representative matters
Family Court, England & Wales · Single Joint Expert (FPR Part 25)
Instructed as Single Joint Expert in Children Act 1989 proceedings between a British father and a Chinese mother, reporting on how custody and guardianship operate under the PRC Civil Code, whether an English Child Arrangements Order can be recognised or enforced in mainland China, and what practical safeguards can secure contact when a child spends time in China.
Read the case studyFamily Court, England & Wales · Party-appointed expert (with FPR Part 25 permission)
In leave-to-remove proceedings where the mother sought to relocate with the child from England to Shanghai, we reported on how Chinese courts approach custody and contact, whether the father’s proposed contact regime could actually be secured and enforced in China, and what remedies would exist if arrangements broke down after relocation.
Read the case studyHigh Court of Justice, Family Division · Party-appointed expert
After a parent kept the child in China without consent, and with the 1980 Hague Abduction Convention unavailable against mainland China, the High Court in wardship proceedings required evidence of what the left-behind parent could actually do in China. We reported on Chinese jurisdiction, the custody litigation route, realistic timescales and enforcement prospects.
Read the case studyFamily Court, England & Wales · Single Joint Expert (FPR Part 25)
In English proceedings concerning assets in the UK, one party relied on a divorce registered at a Chinese civil affairs bureau; the other disputed its validity. We reported on China’s twin routes of registration divorce and court divorce, the statutory cooling-off period, the evidential force of the divorce certificate and its notarisation and legalisation — enabling the English court to determine recognition under the Family Law Act 1986.
Read the case studyFamily Court, England & Wales (financial remedy) · Single Joint Expert (FPR Part 25)
In financial remedy proceedings the parties held several properties and a private company shareholding in China. We reported on the PRC matrimonial property regime, real estate registration and beneficial ownership, restrictions on share transfers, and the prospects of enforcing English property orders against assets in mainland China — informing both computation and the design of workable orders.
Read the case studyHigh Court of Justice, England & Wales · Party-appointed expert (CPR Part 35)
Where the judgment debtor’s assets lay mainly in China, we advised on the recognition and enforcement of English money judgments in the mainland: the operation of reciprocity in the absence of a bilateral treaty, the landmark recognition of an English commercial judgment since 2022, the impact of the amended foreign-related provisions of the Civil Procedure Law in force from 2024, and the practical mechanics of asset preservation and execution.
Read the case study* All matters are anonymised representative engagements; details have been altered to preserve confidentiality.
What we cover
Child arrangements, contact and international relocation
Children taken to or retained in China (non-Hague)
Recognition of Chinese divorces (registration and court)
PRC matrimonial property regime; pre- and post-nuptial agreements
Ownership and disposal of real estate and company shares in China
Recognition and enforcement of English judgments and orders in China
Chinese succession law and cross-border estates
Chinese contract, company and general civil law questions
How instruction works
01
Outline the case and the Chinese law questions; we run a conflict check.
02
Agree the questions, letter of instruction, timetable and fees.
03
Bilingual drafting compliant with FPR Part 25 / CPR Part 35, with statement of truth.
04
Part 35 questions, experts’ meetings, and oral evidence where required.
FAQ
Yes. Our PRC-qualified lawyers regularly provide expert reports on Chinese law for family and civil proceedings in England and Wales, acting either as Single Joint Expert or as party-appointed expert. Reports comply with FPR Part 25 / CPR Part 35, and we can give oral evidence in person or by video link where required.
No. The Convention extends only to the Hong Kong and Macao SARs, not to mainland China. Where a child has been taken to or retained in the mainland, remedies must be pursued under Chinese domestic law — one of the most frequent occasions on which Chinese law expert evidence is required.
English family orders are not directly enforceable in mainland China — there is no bilateral treaty on the recognition of family judgments. Practical alternatives exist, such as fixing the arrangements in China through a notarised agreement or a court mediation statement (which is enforceable). For money judgments, Chinese courts have in recent years recognised English commercial judgments on reciprocity grounds. Prospects must be assessed case by case.
Under the PRC Civil Code the guiding principle is the best interests of the child: a child under two ordinarily lives with the mother; the genuine wishes of a child aged eight or above must be respected; and the court weighs each parent’s caring capacity and the child’s settled circumstances. The non-resident parent has a statutory right of contact.
The usual sequence is: preliminary enquiry and conflict check → agreed expert questions and letter of instruction → draft and final report → written Part 35 questions or oral evidence if required. A standard report takes two to four weeks from receipt of full papers; expedited timetables can be accommodated for urgent hearings.
We welcome enquiries from solicitors, barristers and litigants in the UK and beyond. Tell us the background and the Chinese law questions to be answered — we reply within one business day.
