The Co-Parenting Programme (CPP) is a mandatory step that divorcing parents in Singapore have to complete before they can file for divorce, if they have at least one child under 21. It came into force on 1 July 2024 under section 94A of the Women’s Charter and replaced the older Mandatory Parenting Programme. The programme is free, run online by the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and the certificate from completing it has to be filed with the divorce application. No certificate, no filing.
I’m Wahab. I’ve been running parents through the CPP requirement since the day it took effect in July 2024, and there’s a fair amount of confusion about who needs to do it, when they should do it, what the consultation actually involves, and how it changes the timeline. This post is the practical version.
What the CPP actually is
The CPP is a structured programme designed to help parents going through divorce make informed decisions about co-parenting and the welfare of their children. Singapore’s policy reasoning is that the welfare of children doesn’t depend on whether the parents stay married, but it does depend on whether the parents can co-parent functionally afterwards. The programme exists to nudge that outcome.
It has two parts:
- Online e-learning module. A self-paced course covering the impact of divorce on children, communication strategies for co-parents, common arrangement structures (shared care, fixed residence, holiday access), and the parents’ legal obligations after divorce. Most parents take two to four hours to work through it.
- Consultation with a counsellor. A one-on-one session (currently online, run via video call) with a counsellor from one of MSF’s appointed agencies. The counsellor reviews the parent’s specific situation, helps think through co-parenting arrangements, and discusses how to address conflict that’s likely to come up.
The programme is administered through MSF’s Family Assist portal and is free of charge.
At the end, each parent receives a certificate of completion. The certificate has to be uploaded as part of the divorce filing. The Family Justice Courts will reject a filing that doesn’t include it for a parent who needs one.
Who has to do the CPP
Under section 94A, the CPP requirement applies if:
- You have at least one child under 21 from the marriage, including biological, adopted, or stepchildren you’ve stood in loco parentis for, AND
- You don’t have a complete agreement with your spouse on the grounds for divorce and all the ancillary matters (custody, care and control, access, maintenance, and division of assets).
If both conditions apply, both spouses have to complete the CPP separately before either can file. Each spouse does the programme on their own. You don’t attend together.
Two important extensions of the rule:
DMA simplified track parents (since 1 July 2024). Even where parents have a complete written agreement under section 95A (Divorce by Mutual Agreement) and would otherwise be exempt, parents using the DMA simplified track who have children under 21 are still required to complete the CPP. The policy view is that even amicable divorces benefit from the co-parenting framework, and the children’s welfare is the relevant test, not the parents’ agreement.
Cross-application matters. If your spouse has filed and you’re filing a cross-application, you have to do the CPP before filing yours, even if your spouse has already done it.
Who’s exempt
The CPP doesn’t apply to:
- Marriages without children under 21. If the youngest child is over 21 at the date of filing, neither parent needs to complete it.
- Parties without children at all. Childless couples skip the requirement entirely.
- Cases where parents have a complete agreement on grounds and ancillaries under the older simplified uncontested track (s95B), provided they’re not using DMA. This exemption is narrow because most agreed cases now flow through DMA, where CPP is mandatory.
- Specific waivers granted by the Family Justice Courts in individual cases where the court accepts that the programme isn’t appropriate. These are rare. In my practice I’ve seen waivers in cases of severe domestic violence where the spouses can’t safely participate in any shared programme.
If you’re not sure whether your situation requires CPP, the practical test is: do I have a child under 21, and is my matter going through DMA, the contested track, or the simplified uncontested track without full ancillary agreement? If yes to the first and yes to any of the second, you need CPP.
What the e-learning module actually covers
Based on what my clients have reported back to me from running the module since 2024, the content is structured around six broad themes:
- The impact of divorce on children at different ages. Toddlers vs primary-school children vs teenagers respond differently. The module walks through what each age group typically experiences and what tends to help.
- Communication between parents post-divorce. Practical strategies for limiting conflict, sharing information about the children, and handling logistics without escalating.
- Common co-parenting structures. Sole care and control with access, shared care and control, and how each works in a Singapore context (school logistics, HDB or condo arrangements, family network).
- The legal obligations. What custody, care and control, and access actually mean under section 125, what maintenance covers under section 127, and what the Family Justice Courts will and won’t intervene on after divorce.
- Conflict patterns to watch for. Parental alienation, withholding access, weaponising the children. The module is candid that these patterns harm the children and explains how the courts respond.
- Where to get further support. Family service centres, counselling resources, and how to escalate if co-parenting breaks down.
The tone is practical, not preachy. Most clients come out of it telling me it was more useful than they expected, even those who started off resentful about the requirement.
What the counsellor consultation looks like
After the e-learning, you book a session with a counsellor from one of MSF’s appointed agencies. The session is currently online, runs about 60 to 90 minutes, and is one-on-one with the parent. Topics typically covered:
- Your specific co-parenting concerns and the points of conflict with your spouse.
- The children’s situations: school, friends, current routines, any anxieties.
- Your proposed parenting arrangements and whether they’re realistic.
- Practical strategies for the next six to twelve months.
- Resources for ongoing support.
The counsellor isn’t there to mediate between you and your spouse. They’re there to help you, individually, think through your role as a co-parent. The conversation is confidential and isn’t reported back to the court beyond the certificate of completion.
The session ends with the counsellor issuing the certificate, usually emailed to you within a few working days.
How CPP relates to MPP
Before 1 July 2024, the equivalent programme was called the Mandatory Parenting Programme (MPP). The CPP replaces it for the new framework. Key differences:
- Scope. MPP was narrower; CPP applies more broadly, including to DMA simplified track parents.
- Format. MPP was usually delivered face-to-face; CPP is online with an online consultation, which most parents find easier to fit around work.
- Certificate. CPP certificate is the new mandatory document for filings. Older MPP certificates are no longer accepted for filings made after 1 July 2024.
If you completed MPP before July 2024 and are now filing, you’ll need to complete the CPP afresh. The Family Justice Courts won’t accept the older certificate.
How CPP changes the timeline and cost
Practical effect for clients I’m helping with divorce filings:
| Stage | Time impact |
|---|---|
| Booking the counsellor consultation | 1 to 3 weeks lead time, depending on the agency |
| E-learning module | 2 to 4 hours, usually done over a weekend |
| Counsellor consultation | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Certificate issued | 2 to 5 working days after consultation |
| Total elapsed | 2 to 5 weeks for both spouses to complete in parallel |
Cost: zero. The programme is fully subsidised by MSF.
The legal fees side: nothing changes. CPP is the parents’ own administrative step, not a lawyered process. I don’t charge for the CPP itself. What I do is make sure clients know about the requirement at the first meeting, point them to the booking, and time the divorce filing to come after both certificates are in hand.
What to do next
If you’re a parent contemplating divorce in Singapore and you haven’t started the CPP, do that early. Two reasons. First, the lead time on counsellor bookings has stretched out as the volume has grown since 2024. Second, completing the e-learning module sometimes shifts how parents think about their proposed child custody arrangements, and that’s better to work through before lawyers start drafting the parenting plan.
If you’re working out whether your matter needs CPP at all, or how to fit it around an urgent filing situation, the first ten minutes with me are free. Book a Divorce Discovery Session and bring whatever you’ve already started on. English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, or Vietnamese, with translation staff on hand for each.
