Question 1

What Is Divorce?

Accepted Answer

Divorce in Singapore is the legal procedure to terminate a marriage by Court judgement.

Question 2

What Is Simplified or Uncontested Divorce?

Accepted Answer

A simplified or uncontested divorce in Singapore is a type of divorce wherein both spouses have mutually agreed to dissolve the marriage and settle all ancillary matters amicably.

Question 3

How to File for Divorce in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Signing and submission of required documents to the Family Justice Court (FJC) to commence the divorce proceedings in Singapore. Specific documents you need to submit include:

Writ for Divorce
Statement of Claim
Statement of Particulars
Proposed Parenting Plan
Proposed Matrimonial Property Plan

After the documents have been accepted by the Court, they must be served personally on the Defendant. The Defendant will be given eight days after that to decide if he or she will contest the divorce. If the Defendant chooses to contest, he or she will be required to file a Memorandum of Appearance and subsequently, a Defence and Counterclaim. Once the Interim Judgment is granted and if the ancillary matters remain outstanding, both parties must file their Affidavits of Assets and Means which will set out their assets, income, liabilities, contributions made to the family and care arrangements pertaining to the children to enable the Court to determine a just and equitable division of the matrimonial assets, the custody, care and control and access to the children as well as maintenance for the spouse and children.

Question 4

What Are the Legal Grounds for Divorce in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

Singapore divorce has only one ground, which is the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. The party filing for divorce must prove one of the following reasons for irretrievable breakdown:

Adultery
Unreasonable behaviour
Desertion
Separation

Question 5

How Much Does It Cost to File a Divorce in Singapore?

Accepted Answer

The fees for filing for divorce in Singapore depends largely on whether the divorce is contested or uncontested and will take into consideration the lawyer’s fee, disbursements, and other divorce law services in Singapore like pre-divorce consultations.

Question 6

How Long Does a Divorce Process Take?

Accepted Answer

The duration of a divorce process in Singapore depends on whether it is a contested, or uncontested divorce. For an uncontested divorce, the divorce can usually be finalized within 4 months. An Interim Judgement may be granted within a month after filing the court documents followed by a compulsory “cooling-off” period of 3 months before the Final Judgment can be granted. Meanwhile, a contested divorce may take up to 12 months or more, depending on the complexity of the case and level of dispute. Where parties have children below 21 years old, mediation is mandatory process. Further, if parties are unable to agree on the divorce, they will have to proceed for a hearing before the Court can grant the Interim Judgment. If the parties cannot agree on the ancillary matters, another hearing on these issues will have to take place.

Question 7

Can I Get a Divorce Even if My Spouse Refuses?

Accepted Answer

In accordance with the Divorce Law in Singapore, if your spouse does not consent to the divorce, you can proceed to file the case as a contested divorce. In such cases, the other party will be given a deadline to respond to the application for divorce. If he or she fails to respond, the Court can continue with the proceedings in the Defendant’s absence and decide on the divorce and ancillary matters based on the evidence presented.

Question 8

Can I Get a Divorce Even if My Spouse is Missing?

Accepted Answer

If you have lost contact with your spouse and he or she cannot be found, you can commence contested divorce proceedings. You would then have to apply to Court for service of the documents to be dispensed with. Once the Court allows for dispensation of service, the case can proceed in the Defendant’s absence.

However, if your spouse can be contacted via e-mail, WhatsApp or any other messaging platform, you can also apply for substituted service via these methods. This will allow the divorce proceedings to continue.