Is a Quick Divorce Settlement Possible in Singapore?

If you’ve decided to get divorced, some of the things that immediately come to mind are the high costs of hiring a divorce lawyer, how long the divorce process will take, the impact on the family unit and whether you’re making the right move.

Increasingly, divorcing couples are opting for an amicable divorce where the terms of the divorce are not contested by either party – referred to as an uncontested divorce.

The divorce process need not be fought out in the courtroom. If you and your spouse are able to come to an agreement with regards to custody, visitation, spousal/child support, and division of property (matrimonial assets), your divorce can proceed quickly and without the need to attend divorce court.

The easiest and quickest type of divorce in Singapore, is called an uncontested divorce. This relatively fast divorce (4 months) because all of the major issues have been agreed upon by you and your spouse.

The obstacles

The biggest obstacle to a quick divorce is how long it takes for parties to negotiate the below:

• The grounds for divorce
• Financial issues(matrimonial assets)
• Custody & Spousal maintenance issues.

Aapprehension about how you will manage financially in the future, how much you believe you are entitled to, how much you should share can be overwhelming and lead to confusion thus having a negative effect on any possible agreement.

Divorce Mediation

If both of you and your spouse want move on to the next chapter of your lives and are looking for a fair settlement but need help to come to an agreement on the terms of settlement, then Divorce Mediation is right for you.

Divorce lawyers trained in family mediation can help you and your spouse negotiate the details over a few hours or over a day in a neutral environment. The issues covered by the mediation process include, but are not limited to the following:

• Distribution of property & assets
• Child Custody/parenting plan
• Child Support/Maintenance
• Allocation
• Spousal Maintenance

With the help of the couple, the divorce mediator addresses and works out agreements on the abovementioned issues. If agreements are hard to reach, it is the mediator`s job to keep the lines of communication open and keep the couple focused on the issues at hand.

When the divorce mediation session is successfully completed, a Memorandum of Understanding is drawn up by the mediator. This document contains the agreement that couples have undertaken. Your Divorce Lawyer will then complete and file with the court all the relevant documents on your behalf as an uncontested divorce.

Learn more about the divorce process in Singapore.

Featured image provided by Shutterstock.com.