Do I need an international divorce lawyer to deal with my divorce and custody if my estranged wife lives in Russia currently?

Please speak to an attorney here to figure out if NY has jurisdiction or not.

You can file for divorce here but the courts here have no jurisdiction over custody.

It is best to consult with an experienced matrimonial attorney in New York to handle your divorce action, especially considering the substantial jurisdictional issues involved here, rather than hiring "anyone".

Unfortunately, if the wife and children are still in Russia and they have been there for the past 5 years, NY will not have jurisdiction over the children. Depending upon your specific facts and circumstances, NY may have jurisdiction to grant you a divorce and to deal with ancillary issues excluding those pertaining to the children, but this is something you should discuss directly with a NY divorce attorney. You can find attorneys by searching among the profiles here on . Of course, if the children are in NY, then that would change things. Good luck!