If a deal has fallen apart, you need straight answers first
If you’re up at night because a supplier didn’t deliver, a client hasn’t paid, or a business partner walked away from what was agreed, you probably don’t need a long lecture on contract law. You need to know: do I have a real claim, and is it worth chasing?
I’m Roy. I run civil litigation at A.W. Law LLC in Chinatown. I’ve sat across the desk from many Singaporeans in your position, from small business owners chasing a S$20,000 invoice to directors fighting a seven-figure supply dispute.
This page is for you if someone has broken a contract with you, or says you’ve broken one with them. The first 10 minutes are free. Nothing commits you.
What a breach of contract in Singapore actually is
A breach of contract is when one side fails to do what a contract says. In Singapore, contract law is mostly common law, topped up by the Contracts Act and other statutes like the Sale of Goods Act. Most commercial cases go to the State Courts for claims up to S$250,000, and to the High Court for anything larger. Bigger cross-border matters sometimes go to SIAC arbitration instead.
For a contract to exist at all, there needs to be an offer, acceptance, something of value exchanged (consideration), and an intent to be legally bound. You don’t always need a signed document. A clear email thread, a WhatsApp chat confirming terms, or a written quote both sides worked from can all count. The blog post on business contracts in Singapore covers the main clauses that tend to cause fights.
Breaches fall into a few types:
- Actual breach. The other side simply didn’t do what they promised: didn’t pay, didn’t deliver, delivered late or broken.
- Anticipatory breach. Before performance is due, they make clear (in words or by actions) that they won’t perform. You can often act on this early.
- Material (or repudiatory) breach. The breach is so serious it strikes at the heart of the contract. This gives you the right to terminate and sue for damages.
- Minor breach. A small failure that doesn’t destroy the deal. The contract stays alive, but you can claim for the loss caused.
The usual remedies are damages (money to put you in the position you’d have been in if the contract had been performed), specific performance (an order to actually do the thing promised, rare outside property and unique goods), and injunctions (stopping the other side doing something the contract forbids).
When a breach of contract claim is the right answer
Before I take a matter on, I ask a few questions.
- Was there actually a contract? Sometimes what feels like a deal was only a negotiation. We look at the emails, the quotes, and the conduct. If there’s no contract, we’ll tell you, and save you a wasted fight.
- Is the breach real, or a misunderstanding? Many “breaches” are actually about how the contract is interpreted. If that’s the case, your matter is a contract dispute, not a straight breach claim.
- Is there money to recover? A judgment is only worth the assets behind it. If the other side is winding up or bankrupt, we’ll flag that early.
- Is this about unpaid invoices? If the debt is clear and undisputed, our Debt Recovery route is faster and cheaper than a full breach claim.
- Is construction involved? If the dispute is under a construction or renovation contract, we may be able to use the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act. See our Construction Disputes page.
The three patterns we see most often in Singapore breach of contract matters:
- Goods or services paid for and never delivered. Supplier took a deposit, project slipped, nothing to show for it.
- Work done but not paid for. Completed work, client refuses to settle the invoice or claims defects to avoid paying.
- Partner or director walks away. A business partner breaches a shareholder agreement, a director breaks a non-compete, or a supplier starts selling to your clients behind your back.
When to act and what to expect
How long you have. Under the Limitation Act, you usually have 6 years from the date of breach to file a claim. Contracts signed as a deed get 12 years. After that, the claim is gone. Don’t wait: evidence fades and companies get wound up.
How long it takes. A letter of demand often closes a matter in 14 to 28 days. If the case goes to court, expect 6 to 12 months in the State Courts and 9 to 18 months in the High Court for a contested matter. SIAC arbitration can be faster or slower depending on the tribunal.
How much it costs. A plain letter of demand is usually S$500 to S$1,500. A simple State Courts claim that settles at mediation runs S$3,000 to S$10,000. Full trials run S$10,000 to S$25,000 in the State Courts. High Court and SIAC matters cost more because the filing fees, process, and preparation are heavier. We quote a written price cap before we start and keep it updated as the case moves. The 10-min Breach of Contract Discovery Session is free.
What’s hard. Two things. First, evidence. You’ll need every email, invoice, delivery note, and message. Gather everything you can before the first meeting. Second, the mental load. Litigation is slow. Six to 12 months of waiting, then a hearing, then maybe appeals. We try to close matters at the demand-letter stage precisely because court is a long road.
How we handle breach of contract at A.W. Law
A few things we do differently:
- One lawyer from start to end. Whoever takes your first meeting runs the matter through to judgment or settlement. No handovers.
- Demand letters that actually work. Short, simple terms, and aimed at the decision-maker on the other side, not their lawyer’s filing cabinet.
- Fees quoted in writing first. We’ll tell you before any paid work starts what it’ll cost and what the ceiling is.
- WhatsApp until 10pm on weekdays. When a supplier is about to cut you off or a client is threatening to walk, you shouldn’t have to wait until Monday.
- Speak your language. English, Malay, or Tamil. Roy also speaks Malayalam.
- No pushing to litigate. If mediation, a settlement, or just a stern letter will work, we’ll say so, even if it means less work for us.
We’re at 133 New Bridge Road, #20-03 Chinatown Point. Two minutes’ walk from Chinatown MRT, Exit E. Walk-ins welcome most afternoons between 2pm and 5pm on weekdays.
What happens next
If someone has broken a contract with you, or is threatening to, the next step is simple. Book a free 10-min Breach of Contract Discovery Session using the form on this page, or message us on WhatsApp using the button anywhere on the screen.
Nothing commits you. You’ll leave the session knowing whether you have a real claim, what it’s worth, what a realistic timeline looks like, and a short list of documents to pull together before any paperwork starts.
