Do you need a lawyer for a divorce

Refer to File a divorce application (normal track) if you and your spouse have not been able to agree on the divorce or the ancillary matters.

Before you file

Before you file your divorce papers, make sure you understand:

If you are filing the divorce application, you are the plaintiff.

Your spouse is the defendant.

You do not need a lawyer to represent you in a divorce case. However, you may choose to engage one if you need independent legal advice on the merits of your case and the simplified divorce process.

The courts are not able to provide legal advice or recommend lawyers. Find out where to get help.

Key facts

Refer to the following on how you can file your divorce papers.

What you will need

You should prepare the following before you file:

Alternatively, you may use the Divorce eService to assist you in the preparation and/or submission of court papers when applying for a divorce through e-Lit.

Estimated fees

Refer to the following to find out the possible fees for filing and serving your divorce papers. You may also refer to Part 6 of the Fifth Schedule of the Family Justice Rules for the full list of court fees.

In addition to the fees listed in the table, there are also other fees payable to the LawNet & CrimsonLogic Service Bureau.

Item or service

Fees

File the Writ for Divorce

$42

File a Statement of Claim

$7

File a Statement of Particulars

$7

File the Agreed Matrimonial Property Plan

$7

File the Agreed Parenting Plan

$7

File the Request for Setting Down Trial for Action

$63

File any other document

$7

You may choose to file your divorce papers personally or through a lawyer. If you are represented by a lawyer, the documents will be filed by your lawyer. 

If you are representing yourself, you must file the divorce papers through eLitigation at the LawNet & CrimsonLogic Service Bureau or through the Divorce eService.

If you are filing through eLitigation at the LawNet & CrimsonLogic Service Bureau, you must follow Part 5 of Division 2 of the Family Justice Rules 2014 and the FJC Practice Directions to prepare your documents before heading down personally to do the filing.

If you are using the Divorce eService, the eService will guide you through the filling up of the information required and will generate the necessary court documents for your filing through the eService.

After filing, your divorce papers will then be submitted to the Family Courts for review. If your documents are in order, the court will send a Registrar's Notice to notify you and the defendant (or your lawyers, if any) of your uncontested divorce hearing date that will be scheduled within 4 to 6 weeks.

Choosing a divorce lawyer is one of the most crucial decisions you’ll have to make during your divorce proceedings. To maintain a high level in divorce law, the Family Lawyer Singapore in the Family Mediation training and certification framework has undergone advanced and often expensive supplementary studies. This certification demonstrates one’s ability to handle divorce, property settlement, or child-related difficulties.

Why Do You Need to Hire a Family Lawyer?

Disputes in the family can have long-term ramifications for both parents and children. Therefore, more individuals are turning to family lawyers for aid. A qualified family lawyer will also handle conversations with your spouse, cooperate with their counsel, minimise needless applications and hearings, and offer alternate dispute resolution approaches such as counselling or mediation where appropriate.

Divorce procedures, spousal maintenance, child custody, and the division of marital assets are never simple to handle on your own. You may feel overwhelmed by the stress and anxiety of any contentious process in Singapore’s Family Justice Courts.

Experts in Family Law will be able to tell you the strengths and weaknesses of your case and make suggestions for favourable, doable, and practical terms of the divorce. Having a skilled family lawyer Singaporean on your side can help ensure that all of the divorce paperwork and written arguments you present to the court are well-prepared and persuasive enough to win the judge’s favour.

Family law cases are notoriously difficult because of the high stakes and intense emotions involved. If there is a dispute over custody of your children, an experienced divorce lawyer can protect your rights while also considering the needs of your children’s well-being.

When a marriage comes to an end, it can be emotionally and financially challenging for both parties. The process might be made more accessible if you choose a knowledgeable divorce lawyer.

Some of the essential functions and responsibilities divorce lawyers play for their clients are listed here:

Represents Clients:

In our community, attorneys are both activists and advisors. It’s common for them to represent one of the parties in a family law case by providing evidence and arguing in favour of their client. In talks, they also express their customers’ interests.

Lawyers assist spouses who divorce each other with child custody, alimony, and property division. They will oppose the divorce petition and represent their client in court during all stages of a non-mutual divorce case. All issues regarding child support, custody, and visitation will be handled by the attorney mentioned above in this setting.

The Connection Between Both Parties:

A family lawyer in Singapore can also serve as an intermediary between you and your spouse. If you want to avoid disputes with your spouse, you can tell them to “have your attorney call my attorney to address it.” As a result, a great deal of emotional pain can be avoided.

Some lawyers will also try to provide a safe space for you to air your grievances about your partner. You can do it as long as it is done sparingly. However, an intelligent divorce lawyer will realise when you need a decent psychologist or counsellor, and that lawyer should be able to suggest you to someone appropriate.

Advisor:

A lawyer representing a client in a divorce proceeding is expected to advise the client about the typical course the case will take and the options available to the client, together with the benefits, drawbacks, and risks associated with each option. This is one of the most essential and fundamental responsibilities that he has.

Explaining Grounds for Divorce:

Each state has its own set of criteria that must be met for a marriage to be considered irretrievably broken and for a person to be granted the legal right to petition the court for a divorce. There are specific reasons for divorce based on faults, such as adultery, severe treatment, cruelty, or detention.

A family law attorney will be able to explain to you whether or not there are any advantages to requesting the court to terminate the marriage because one of the parties was at fault. For instance, this may be significant in deciding whether or not there has been a flaw in the marriage under certain circumstances.

For the wedding to be considered valid, it is possible that a statutory requirement was disregarded, that the required paperwork was not submitted, or that the required ceremony was not carried out. Divorce and the option of voiding or annulling the marriage are also options discussed with an attorney.

Preparation with Divorce Papers:

The appropriate court must first review and approve the legal paperwork to finalize a divorce. Clients who hire a divorce law firm can receive assistance in completing these papers or responding to the divorce petition filed by the other spouse.

Negotiating a Settlement:

A client seeking assistance in negotiating a divorce settlement relating to the marital estate can benefit from the help of a family law attorney. If this procedure does not include litigation, it will often be less expensive and take less time than if it involves fighting it out in court.

A Debt Settlement Plan:-

Paying off one’s debts is always a central sticking point in a divorce. Most of the time, a shared debt has been accrued by both partners. In this case, attorneys can assist in analyzing the debt plans and developing a strategy for splitting or exempting their clients from them.

Work for the Client:

Whether your divorce is friendly or contentious, the lawyer you hire is critical to the outcome. Ultimately, a divorce lawyer’s job is to protect his client’s interests. If they employ a lawyer with extensive expertise, it’s practically a guarantee that the opposing counsel won’t be able to take advantage of them. To ensure that the settlements and agreements between all parties are fair, it is worth your time to locate the best Divorce Law Firm available.

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