Family Law in Brussels
Complete guide to family law — Sarah Satti Law Office
Family law in Belgium governs the legal relationships between spouses, parents and children. Codified in Book 2 of the Civil Code, it has undergone significant reforms in recent years — particularly regarding maintenance, divorce and parental authority.
What is family law in Belgium?
Family law covers all legal rules applicable to family relationships: marriage, cohabitation, divorce, separation, child custody, maintenance, succession and liquidation of joint property. In Belgium, these matters fall mainly under the Family Court (law of 30 July 2013) and the Belgian Civil Code.
Three principles consistently guide decisions: the best interests of the child (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by Belgium in 1991), fairness between parties, and priority given to mediation and mutual consent whenever possible. A specialised family lawyer assists you in asserting your rights while respecting your personal situation.
Our areas of practice
Every family situation is unique. Mrs. Sarah Satti handles the full spectrum of Belgian family law:
Divorce by mutual consent
Fast and amicable procedure
Contested divorce (irretrievable breakdown)
Adversarial divorce proceedings
De facto separation
Separating without divorcing
Child custody
Residence and parental authority
Child support
Maintenance for children
Alimony
Between (ex-)spouses
Matrimonial property regime
Marriage contracts and assets
Grandparents' visitation rights
Preserved family ties
Asset division
Distribution of marital property
Parentage
Paternity recognition and contestation
Civil status correction
Correcting an error in an official deed
The firm's approach
Mrs. Sarah Satti, lawyer at the Brussels Bar, practises family law combining technical rigour with attentive listening. She systematically prioritises amicable resolution (negotiation, divorce by mutual consent) when feasible — often faster, more cost-effective and emotionally less taxing. If family mediation proves relevant, she can refer you to accredited mediators at the Family Court.
When contentious proceedings are required, she represents you with determination before the Family Court. The firm operates trilingually (French, Dutch, English) and welcomes clients in person at Uccle, by videoconference or by phone according to your preference.
The first consultation (€100 excl. VAT, 30 min) allows analysing your file, presenting your procedural options and jointly assessing the most appropriate strategy.