What You Need to Know About Civil Divorce in Singapore
Are you seeking a divorce in Singapore? If yes, then you need to be mentally, emotionally, and economically ready to handle the procedure. Moreover, a split-up is a stressful process and is followed by many stressful matters that can disturb your life. However, you can stay relaxed by hiring our Singapore divorce lawyer as he will ensure a smooth procedure and favourable outcomes.
Since divorce can significantly affect your life, it’s good to know about the requirements, your rights, obligations, and emotional aspects in advance. In this context, we have discussed some important points after consultation with our top divorce lawyer in the following sections. Read on.
Prerequisites for the civil divorce in Singapore
There are several prerequisites you must fulfil before you can apply for the divorce in Singapore. i.e.
Residence
First of all, you or your spouse must be a citizen of permanent resident of the country. If not, either of you should be living or domiciled in Singapore for at least 3 years before the divorce proceedings can be started.
3 years of marriage
Another important requirement you have to fulfil before you can go further in the legal process of ending your marriage is that you should have completed at least 3 years of your married life.
Grounds for the divorce
The applicant can get an exemption from the requirement of 3 years of married life in certain circumstances. i.e.;
Exceptional hardship
One of the common grounds for ending a marriage is exceptional hardship. In this case, the person has to prove that he/she is not able to continue the married life due to intolerable circumstances like cruelty or unjust behaviour. The court may allow you to proceed for the divorce considering this reason even if you have not completed 3 years of your married life.
Irretrievable Breakdown
Apart from the above reasons and requirements, there can be some other grounds on which you can apply for the divorce. They are called irretrievable breakdown and includes adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion, and separation.
If your spouse is indulged in adultery and if you have evidence, you can get a divorce on this ground. Similarly, violence, absence of sex since a long time, restriction from socialization, addiction of drug, gambling, and spouse not giving time for the married life are also among the reasons due to which a person can split up legally.
Divorce is also granted when your spouse deserted you and you are living separately for at least 2 years at the time of divorce proceedings. Further, you have to prove that your spouse is not willing to live with you.
Apart from this, if you two are living separately for at least 3 years continuously, you can file a divorce application. In this case, both the parties should be agreed for the split-up and should prove that they are living apart by choice.
Stages of the divorce process in Singapore
The divorce process in Singapore requires all the parties involved to go through two stages in order to reach to the final judgement.
The first stage involves the termination of the marriage. This decision is taken by the court based on the criteria and arguments of the parties involved.
The second stage deals with post-divorce matters, i.e. fair division of assets, child’s custody, an amount for the maintenance of spouse and/or child, etc.
How we help
If you are looking for divorce lawyer for woman, we have been providing legal services in Singapore for years with our expert team of civil divorce lawyers. They are experienced and committed to providing the best guidance to the clients leading to the most desirable outcomes. Do not hesitate to approach our good divorce lawyer Singapore. Our team will be quick in response and will guide you to the next steps.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What are the Eligibility Criteria for a Divorce in Singapore?
There are well-defined eligibility criteria to seek a divorce in Singapore that a Singapore family lawyer can explain to you in detail.
The party filing for a divorce must:
- Hold a Singaporean domicile or have Singapore as their permanent residence before the divorce proceedings commence.
- Have resided in Singapore for at least 3 years before the divorce proceedings commence
- Have spent at least 3 years being married to the other party unless the reason to file for a divorce is extreme and entails unacceptable behavior.
If you have any doubts regarding your eligibility, it is best to seek guidance from a family issues lawyer.
2. What is the typical procedure of a divorce case?
If you have discussed your case with an Sg divorce lawyer, you will know that divorce cases have two parts. The first part covers dissolution of marriage, whereas the matters of custody and management, collectively termed as Ancillary matters, are decided in the second part.
With a successful conclusion in the first part with the help of a family lawyer Singapore, you will get an Interim Judgement, which will temporarily dissolve the marriage, and you will be allowed to move towards ancillary matters.
After three months, the parties can use the help of a family issues lawyer to apply for the conversion of the interim judgment into the final judgment.
3. Is there a way to get a divorce in Singapore if I am not a resident or hold a domicile?
Even though Singapore’s law requires you to be a resident or hold a domicile to be eligible for a divorce, you can still get a divorce in Singapore as a foreigner with the help of an Sg divorce lawyer.
The eligibility criterion is only applicable to the party filing for a divorce, and the other party does not have to have a domicile or be a resident. So technically, you cannot file for a divorce as a foreigner, but you can still get a divorce if your ex-partner is a local.
4. How much can a divorce cost in Singapore?
There is no set amount as the charges vary from case to case. If the case is straightforward and uncontested in which both parties agree to divorce, and there are no issues to be resolved, the anticipated cost can be from S$900.
If there are unresolved conflicts and the divorce is contested, it can require a lot more legal efforts, time, and procedure, making the cost as much as S$5000 or more.
You can only get an exact estimate if you discuss the details of your case with a marriage lawyer Singapore who will analyze the technicalities and give you a realistic figure.
5. How long does it take to obtain a divorce in Singapore?
Divorce cases can involve a lot of factors and hence require guidance from a family issues lawyer to give you a realistic idea about how long it takes.
Generally, if the divorce is uncontested and does not involve children or a house, the case can be closed within a month. If the case is contested and includes complicated ancillary matters, the resolution can take up to a year.
A recommended SG divorce lawyer will analyze these factors to help you decide how long your case can take.