Deciding to go through a divorce does not always mean that you will have to “fight” in court against your spouse. In recent years, it is reported that almost seven out of ten divorce cases are settled during mediation without the need for contested hearings.

Pursuant to section 50(3A) of the Women’s Charter, mediation is compulsory for parties who have at least one child who is below 21 years old. They will have to attend mediation and counselling, as ordered by the court after they have filed their relevant divorce papers.

What is mediation and why parties mediate

Mediation is an alternative dispute resolution process where a neutral third party (either a Judge-Mediator or an Accredited Mediator) will assist the divorcing parties to work through their issues (grounds for divorce and/or ancillary matters) as amicably as possible. A mediator will help parties to focus on the issues being disputed, create an effective and productive platform for parties to communicate, and to help them (along with their lawyers if they are legally represented) to explore mutually acceptable options and solutions.

The benefits of attending a mediation cannot be overstated. Contested trials and hearings can become protracted and time-consuming. Parties will have to continue paying legal fees and costs to prepare and file their further pleadings, affidavits and the other relevant documents for hearing(s). The process and journey to a contested hearing can also be mentally draining and emotionally taxing on them, and their children.

Furthermore, parties generally have a greater control over the outcome of the mediation, as compared to contested hearings. In our experience, consent orders (orders which are recorded during mediation) are generally more likely to be complied by parties than litigated orders. Accordingly, parties do not have to be further embroiled in subsequent court proceedings such as variation of court orders and/or enforcement proceedings.

Role of your family lawyers during mediation

It is important for parties to have experienced family lawyers to guide them during the preparation for their mediation sessions, and to help advance their positions during the mediation. The lawyers will also assist parties to explain to them the current standings on the law related to their issues in dispute, and to explore long-lasting and more sustainable solutions that will be fair and equitable for all parties involved.

When and why mediation may fail sometimes

There are anecdotal cases where parties shared that mediation have not assisted them to achieve more lasting solutions to their disputes. In such cases, our view is that depending on the facts of the case, perhaps it is not so much that the mediation mechanism is not useful or incapable of creating more lasting orders for parties. Rather, it is how the users (divorcing parties) and the stakeholders (mediators, lawyers, counsellors etc) come together to properly utilise the platform to encourage a meaningful communication between parties, and to flesh out the relevant and pertinent information related to the dispute.

Furthermore, some parties may settle for the sake of settling because they do not wish to continue the acrimony between parties and they want to move on from this ordeal as soon as possible. While their intentions are not to be criticised, it is important for parties to also ensure that they have the “correct” attitude when they come to the bargaining table. This means that they should work closely with their lawyers to mediate in good faith. Coming to mediation sessions with an open mind and with a willingness to allow some leeway and compromise does go a long way in making sure that your mediation sessions will be fruitful and productive.

Needless to say, we also recognise the fact that there are those cases where mediation does not help for a variety of reasons, for example, if both parties simply do not wish to budge from their original positions, or if one party does not care to participate in the mediation with an open mind to mediate. At times, some lawyers may also establish that prolonging the mediation process may not be beneficial to their clients and they might be able to better protect their clients’ interests during a hearing.

Whatever it may be, it is most certainly important for clients to speak to their lawyers to explore their matters in-depth and to be availed of the feasibility of their options.

For assistance on Child Focus Resolution Centre (CFRC Mediation) and other Family Law matters, please contact Singapore Divorce Law firm Yeolaw at 62203400 or send Advice Request Form for your expert Divorce Lawyers advice.

An Interim Custody, Care and Control (ICCC) order is the temporary order for care arrangements for the Children of a marriage before a final divorce order is granted.

Reasons for applying for an ICCC Order

The marriage may be failing but couple has not started the divorce proceedings.

Or, the divorce proceedings have just start, depending on Parties’ settlement, or whether there is mediation or even trial, the usual time line from start to end may sometimes take months, even years to completely conclude. Without this Order, one parent may be totally excluded from having access to the children.

You can apply for an ICCC Order at any time during the marriage, the separation or the Court proceedings for a divorce to ensure that your rights to your Child and his welfare are protected. Such situations include but not limited to:-

1. Your spouse has left the country and is uncontactable. You will require an ICCC Order to dispense with the other parent’s consent with regard to the Child’s matters such as enrolment in schools;
2. You have been stopped from seeing the Child/or excluded in the making of major decisions for the Child;
3. Your Child is subjected to physical and mental abuse from your spouse and you are seeking for custodial rights of the Child pending the determination of your application for Personal Protection Order;
4. Risk of your spouse removing the Child from Singapore;
5. You might have been chased out of the matrimonial home and the child(ren) remains in the home with your spouse;
6. You have been restricted by your spouse to visit child(ren);
7. You have difficulty in accessing to the child(ren);
8. Your spouse refused to release the child(ren) to you;
9. Your spouse’s family members who lives with the child(ren) accuses you of trespassing and threatens that you are not allowed to come to their homes;
10. Your spouse calls the police each and every time you fetch the child(ren);
11. Your spouse claims that you have committed violence or sexually abusing to the child(ren) etc

A temporary order to ensure that the child(ren)’s rights to access to their parents is thus essential.

The laws governing ICCC

The primary guiding principle for ICCC is the welfare of the Child. Generally, the “welfare of the Child” refers to the overall welfare of the Child, not simply providing monetary or physical comforts.

Welfare includes all aspects of his upbringing including like:

1. Daily care;
2. Child’s education;
3. Health;
4. Morality;
5. Religion;
6. Emotions;

Rights to have access to both parents etc.

Advantages of an ICCC Order

An ICCC Order may become very useful for the ousted parent to continue his role as a parent in the child’s life and prevent any permanence of his/her absence. This also prevents your spouse from alleging that you have no interests in contacting the children and that you are an irresponsible parent.

If you are the parent who wishes to keep the children with you during the breakdown of the marriage or during the divorce proceedings, you may wish to apply for an ICCC order to prevent your spouse from disrupting your child’s life by “snatching” the child away. If you are the parent who has the Child in your care, you have a very strong argument for continuing the status quo in the divorce as the Courts tends to prefer stability and continuity for the Child.

With an order in hand, your spouse may not be able to “snatch” the child away. When you call for police’s help, the police may rely on the Order for ICCC to see who the children should follow.

Limitations of an ICCC Order

Nevertheless, there may be exceptional cases where an ICCC Order may not be immediately effective in compelling the other parent to obey, for instance when the other Party continues to ignore the Order. It may then be necessary for you to take stronger and more punitive actions against your spouse, such as by applying for contempt of Court for the defaulting party’s refusal to comply with the Court Order, which attracts fine or jail term for that spouse.

If you are concerned about the care of your children, do take advice before making any final decisions. We offer a free initial chat with a lawyer so that you can get all the facts about the legal issues.

What happens to your Built-To-Order (“BTO”) Flat in an event of a divorce before the Minimum Occupation Period (“MOP”)?

Firstly, it is useful to calculate the MOP, which is calculated 5 years from the date the keys to the Flat are collected. If the MOP is not reached in the event of an intended divorce, the common perception is that the BTO Flat is to be surrendered to HDB. However, there are a few options that are available, including retaining the Flat.

Wait for the 5-year MOP to pass

While some parties prefer to wait out the 5-year MOP as that the option to sell the flat is available to them, some parties may be placed in a situation where an early closure to their divorce is preferred and waiting for the 5-year to pass is not ideal. If waiting out for the 5-year MOP to pass is an available option, entering into a Deed of Separation would be ideal so that the obligations between parties during the period of separation would be documented.

Taking Over the Flat

A party may elect to transfer his or her share in the Flat if the other party is eligible to retain the Flat under the Single Singapore Citizen (“SSC”) Scheme before the 5-year MOP is fulfilled. The party retaining the Flat would also need to be eligible for loan to retain the flat solely. However, meeting HDB eligibility rules and approval for loans are subjected to considerations such as the existing mortgage loan, the Central Provident Fund (“CPF”) refunds, and so on.

Appeal to HDB to Sell the Flat

If the above 2 options are not available, parties may attempt to make an appeal to the HDB to sell the Flat in the open market before the 5-year MOP. Each appeal application is considered on a case-by-case basis. In the event that the appeal to HDB is successful, the Flat can be sold in the open market.

Before the Flat is sold, parties should consider and agree on a few factors:

1. When the Flat is to be sold;
2. Whether there should be a sole or joint conduct to the sale of the Flat;
3. What should be done with the balance sale proceeds (usually after redeeming the outstanding mortgage loan, refunding of parties’ CPF monies including accrued interest, payment of costs and expenses of sale);
4. What would be done if the sale proceeds are insufficient to repay the outstanding mortgage loan and/or parties’ CPF monies withdrawn for the purchase of the Flat.

The above list is non-exhaustive.

Surrender the Flat to HDB

Finally, if neither of the above options are available, parties are to surrender the Flat to HDB. BTO Flats surrendered to HDB are normally valued below the purchase price and would usually result in a loss. Nonetheless, parties should consider the proportions which the losses or profits, if any, is to be apportioned.

An experienced family lawyer will know how to advise you to minimize losses to your newly acquired asset. In many cases, our lawyers have the expertise to help you keep the flat, or keep the damages to the lowest. Consult a professional family lawyer at Yeo & Associate LLC on 62203400.

The current economic situation in Singapore may be worrying for some divorcing couples, especially those facing financial uncertainties like retrenchment or business failures. Some divorcing couples may wish to relook into the settlement agreement reached just about a few months ago before government’s announcement of “circuit breaker” lockdown.

Some fathers may not be able to afford the agreed amount for child maintenance; or that they may reconsider whether to put the matrimonial flat up for sale in the gloomy open market.

Many would move on to complete the divorce when the relationship is beyond salvage. However, the Family Justice Courts of Singapore issues the final certificate for divorce (Divorce Certificate) only when the ancillary matters are fully settled.

In such condition, your expert Singapore Divorce Lawyer may discuss the following with you:-

• You have reached a complete settlement to all the terms by way of mediation. Whilst the financial landscape has been turbulent due to coronavirus, you may attempt to have further discussion to include short-term arrangement for child maintenance if your income is affected,
• If you are still in the process of reaching a financial settlement, you may not be too ready to offer more than you could afford and it is a reasonable ground to offer lesser amount upon production of your salary slip;
• HDB flats or other private properties– You may wish to extend the deadline to sell your house;
• Valuation price of the house– You may agree with your spouse on the valuation price if the house is to be transferred to one party after divorce. The outgoing party may not suffer too much loss due to the lowered valuation price. Agreed valuation price may be more reasonable given the situation that the property market is falling drastically;
• Assets– Although the value of stocks and shares, which is classified as matrimonial assets, may have fallen over recent weeks, the price of gold, which likewise is a matrimonial asset, has surged. Work the table of assets carefully to know what to split as joint assets and how to preserve the value of the assets as much as possible;

The Operation of the Family Justice Courts Also Affected by Covid-19

It is inevitable that the operation of any organisation including the Courts is affected during this pandemic. The type of cases deemed as “essential” and “urgent” may not be apparent, as of now. Your case is likely delayed as opposed to the normal timelines.

Discuss your options with a firm of specialist divorce lawyers, although working from home at the moment, continues to be ready to go through your issues with you, assist you with the preparation of the documents and information, strategize your case etc.

Call Yeolaw Family Lawyers at 62203400 for a non-obligatory discussion on procedures and costs.

Custody and care and control of child(ren) play a large part in divorces – What parties have agreed to, or what the Court may have ruled affects not only the parties involved in the divorce, but also their child(ren), as everybody adjusts their respective lifestyles and living arrangements to comply with the Court Order. What happens if your ex-spouse was awarded care and control of the child(ren), but you encounter situation(s) where you notice that your child(ren)’s day-to-day care is neglected, or if your child(ren) share(s) with you that she/he prefers to live with you?

There are three (3) issues which will be determined in Custody Order: –

1. Custody – This refers to the right to make major decisions for the Child such as religion, education and healthcare. The Courts generally award joint custody to both parents unless there are exceptional circumstances such as when one parent is missing/non cooperative or uncontactable.
2. Care and control – This determine which parent the Child will live with and who is responsible for the day-to-day care and daily decision-making of the Child. The Courts may award care and control to one parent or may make an order for shared care and control where both parents will take turns to be responsible in being the Child’s daily care giver during his/her care and control period.
3. Access – Access will usually be granted to the parent who does not have care and control of the Child unless there are exceptional circumstances to deny the access. Access may be fixed or flexible, depending on the factual matrix for each case. Where there are legitimate concerns about one parent’s treatment of the Child, the Court may also order supervised or assisted access.

How the Judge Determines who gets the Child?

Each case turns on its own facts. The Court will consider:

1. Conduct of both parents and which parent has shown greater concern;
2. The wishes of both parents and the child(ren) if she/he is of an age where she/he is able to express an independent opinion;
3. Maternal bond (usually for infants);
4. Which parent is able to provide better security and stability; and
5. The desirability of having both parents involved in the child(ren)’s life.

Child’s wishes?

The Court will hear both parties’ position and sometimes even from the child if that child is of certain degree of maturity and intelligence before making an order based on the welfare and best interests of the child.

Care and Control can be Changed to the other Parent

The order on care and control may be reversed if the Court is satisfied that it is in the welfare and best interests of the child to do so.

What’s in the best interests of the child?

The judges at the Family Justice Courts have the tedious job to make sure that both parents are treated equally and fairly, regardless of gender, and financial ability. There has been a trend since 2015 for ‘shared care and control” order, aside from the usual ‘sole care and control’ order.

This approach attempts to recognise modern families with both parents having equal responsibility in caring for the child while they are at work. When it is deemed workable in some families where the children are placed in whole day childcare centre, both parents may have the chance to live with the children to care for them on an alternative basis, as long as the schedule does not adversely affect the child’s life. There are other factors that the judge may consider granting ‘shared care and control” order.

If you are concerned about the care of your children, do seek professional legal advice to work out your options for yourself and your children. At Yeo & Associate LLC, we offer a sound and professional advice to your situations that goes a long way. Call us at 62203400 for an appointment.

Being able to entrust your spouse – your trusted life partner – to care for your needs and manage your affairs in the event of an unfortunate circumstance offers great comfort to many.

Delegating your authority by legal instruments such as a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) or a Will ensures that your spouse shall have the relevant powers to act on your behalf in the event that you lack mental capacity to make a decision for yourself or you meet your demise respectively.

However, in an unfortunate case where spouses decide to end their marriage, would a LPA or a Will where your spouse is appointed remain in effect?

Lasting Power of Attorney

A LPA is a legal instrument which allows a person (the “donor”) to delegate authority to another person called the “donee” to manage his/her personal welfare and/or property and affairs in the event that the donor loses his/her mental capacity.

The LPA comes into effect when the donor loses his/her mental capacity.

What is Personal Welfare

• Day-to-day activities
• What you eat
• Where you live
• What you wear
• Healthcare matters like which doctor to visit

What is Property and Affairs

• Your house (flat, condo, office unit etc), whether to keep or sale, or rent out, or take mortgage
• Manage your bank account(s)
• Stocks and shares and how to invest in them
• Using your monies to buy items for your healthcare and other needs
• How to run your business or to terminate it
• Etc.

I do not have an LPA

If you do not have a valid LPA, your loved ones would be required to file an application for Deputyship from the Family Justice Courts in order to obtain the relevant authorities to act on behalf of you thus incurring more cost and wasting precious time.

It may also promote internal family disputes on who should apply to court, who to pay for legal fees, and how to care for the donor pending the court order is released.

Effects of Divorce- LPA DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY LAPSE

More pertinently, where a donor has appointed his/her spouse as the donee in the LPA, the dissolution or annulment of the marriage between the husband and wife DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY void the appointment of a done unless the LPA had specifically provided that it was to do so (Section 15(8) of the Mental Capacity Act (Cap. 177A)).

It is prudent for divorcing couple to process the revocation of the LPA as soon as possible.

I Do not Wish to Still be the Donee of my Divorced Spouse

Inevitably, if you are concerned that your ex-spouse or soon-to-be ex-spouse continues to have the authority to take care of your affair and monies even during the divorce process or after divorce, where you can no longer trust him/her, you may revoke the LPA as soon as possible before mental incapacitation takes place!

You may revoke the LPA by notifying the Public Guardian and the donee (i.e. your ex-spouse) of the revocation. Although consent by the donee is generally required by the Public Guardian, but you may take the necessary steps to notify the donee in order for the Public Guardian to allow the revocation (Section 21 of the Mental Capacity Regulations 2010) if the donee is uncooperative or cannot be found.

Will

A Will becomes effective only when the person making the Will (the “testator/testatrix”) has passed away. The testator/testatrix may appoint one or more persons (the “executor(s)”) to distribute the estate in accordance to his/her wishes and intentions.

Effects of Divorce

If you appoint your spouse as the executor in the Will, the dissolution or annulment of the marriage between the couple DOES NOT void the appointment of executorship in the Will. As such, the spouse shall remain as the appointed executor unless the necessary steps are taken.

In order to remove the ex-spouse as an executor in the Will, the testator/testatrix must execute a fresh Will thus rendering the previous Will invalid.

In the event that you remarry, your current Will shall be revoked by his/her marriage thus removing the appointment of executorship from his/her ex-spouse (Section 13 of the Wills Act (Cap. 352)).

For assistance on estate planning and family law issues, please call Yeolaw family lawyers on 62203400 to arrange a phone appointment with one of our family law experts.

One needs to know that the legal system in Singapore is one of due process where an entire process of filing affidavits (in to court) and having a trial will have to take place before a judge orders a PPO in favour of a party.

Grace, a battered housewife of 20 years decided to protect herself against her abusive husband. She suffered injuries in one of the attacks and called the police. But she was merely advised by the police to seek legal advice and was given a form to seek medical attention and to go Family Justice Courts to apply for a PPO. The police told her that it was a family matter and they cannot do anything more for her.

Having not much savings, Grace decided to approach PPO court to seek the miracle protection of a PPO order. Her nightmare starts.

The typical timeline for a PPO application in court would entail the following:

1. Filing an application at a Family Violence Service Centre or Family Protection Centre at the Family Justice Courts;
2. Attending before a Judge to have your application affirmed/sworn (this is to ensure that nothing, but the truth is stated);
3. Counselling session with a Court Family Specialist;
4. Mention in Court; and
5. Hearing in Court.

The entire process would take 3 – 6 months to conclude and during the interim, Grace continues to stay with the abusive husband.

In the midst of the application, the abusive husband engages a lawyer to defend the action. He even accused Grace of lying to the court over her injuries. He has also applied for a cross-PPO application against Grace, claiming that he has suffered violence too.

Grace has no choice but to engage her own family lawyer as well to represent her in the PPO application.

There are many steps involved when it comes to a PPO application which naturally takes time where the due-process of the judicial system will ensure that falsehoods are filtered out and only the truth will stand the test of time. In conclusion, one should only make genuine PPO applications (where actual family violence is involved and safety is of a family member is at stake) in court as at the end of the day, thanks to the Singapore judicial system, the truth will be out, and justice will prevail.

Grace eventually won the PPO application and a PPO order was granted to her. The judge ordered that the husband pays costs for the trial in the sum of S$3,000 to Grace (usual costs awarded is S$1,500 to S$6,000, and nothing more). However, her finances become strained as her legal fees is more than S$30,000.00 for the full-blown PPO trial.

PPO order is useful only upon a subsequent breach of PPO. With the PPO order, the police will be able to interfere and bring the aggressor into police custody.

At Yeolaw Family Law Firm, we do our part to protect the victim of family violence. Balancing our operational costs, we are able to offer drastically reduced fees for bringing PPO application all the way to trial. Our fees for PPO application are from S$2,500.00. If the matter has to go for trial, our fees are capped at S$9,500.00. Call us at 62203400 to seek protection.

If you and your partner have tried therapy and counselling but still couldn’t make the marriage work, you’ve likely considered separating. The question is, are both of you ready for a divorce?

Here are some things to take note of to prevent yourself from losing yourself:-

Step 1. Protect Yourself
When you break the news to your spouse, he/she might get violent or irrational. The questions to ask: – “Does he has the tendency to use violence or threats of suicide to get his/her way from you previously?”

Too many doubts and queries do not ensure a solution. It is usually too late if the child has already been kidnapped, money withdrawn from joint bank accounts, started to hide personal assets etc. One good thing to know is that there are actually ways to protect yourself.

Yeolaw Family Lawyers will be able to advise the best course of action for you to take to protect yourself, your children and your assets. You can also protect yourself from spiteful allegations from spouse that you have stolen the assets, properties or items within the home. This could be by way of obtaining court order to restrain domestic violence, injunctions to prevent further moving or removal or disposal of assets within Singapore or overseas, stop order to prevent removal of a child from Singapore etc.

Step 2. Gather Information
It is best to have evidence on each and every money you spent on the children and on the family.

If you know that maintenance for the children might be an issue with your spouse during the divorce process, it is wise for you to collect all of the receipts and proofs of payment. Some might say that the receipts will fade but you could photocopy them. You need to provide an estimate of how much money you and your children needs to spend each month.

For the lawyers and judge, who are all third parties who never know your family at all, to know the true extent of the finances in a family, you will need to show the salaries of both parties, what loans you have taken, what other assets you have bought during your marriage etc.

When you receive mails from your letter box, please keep it safe and make photocopies of important documents wherever possible. Important documents may be bank account statements, investment account, outstanding mortgage, credit card statements, IRAS and other tax documents, title deeds of houses, LTA vehicle documents, life and health insurance policies, utility bills, internet bills.

Step 3. Temporary Child Support or Wife’s Maintenance During Divorce
If your spouse intentionally stop all financial support to you during the divorce process, whether to spit you or to cause you financial hardship, you could seek advice from experienced family lawyers like Yeolaw Family Law Specialist to apply for quick order of court  for maintenance to support yourself and your children. If you have prepared for the financial documents stated above as early as possible, it would quicken the court process at the maintenance court.

Step 4. Is your divorce really Uncontested?
Many would prefer uncontested or “straightforward” agreement to divorce and all the terms. But is it really possible with your spouse?

To qualify for the uncontested simplified divorce procedure, you must meet the following requirements:

• You and your spouse agree to the divorce and the reasons for divorce.
• You agree to the issues of maintenance of your child(ren) or spousal maintenance.
• You agree to all division of real estate (flat, condo or landed properties or commercial properties).

If any of these requirements are not met, you will need to use the normal track divorce procedure to commence the divorce, which may attract other procedures like Child Focus Resolution Centre CFRC mediation or even hearing/trial.

Step 5. Get yourself a good divorce lawyer.
It’s tempting to acquire the services of the nearest or cheapest legal advisor you can find, but will the amount of money you save be worth the risk of potentially jeopardizing your case? Don’t take chances – especially if there are kids or property involved. Get yourself a good divorce lawyer!

If you are looking for divorce lawyers who will listen, sympathize, and offer affordable legal assistance, Yeolaw Family Law Specialist is the Family Law firm for you. You may contact us at +65 6220 3400 or visit us at the 12^th Floor of People’s Park Centre, 101A Upper Cross Street.

This article was written by Yeolaw Family Law Specialist, Yeo Law

Specialist Divorce Family Lawyer

 

 

 

 

This article was written by Yeolaw Family Law Specialist, Yeo Law

Specialist Divorce Family Lawyer

Questions to Ask in Finding a Top Good Divorce Lawyer in Singapore Without Squandering

Are you exhausted of having to deal with marital issues and want a divorce or separation?

Once you’ve decided to finally get a divorce, the next step is finding the best divorce lawyer to handle it in the smoothest, most affordable and practical way possible – and this is the next most crucial part of your journey to end the marriage chapter.

Choosing a highly skilled divorce lawyer to represent you can be extremely beneficial in the long-run and even post-divorce life, whether that be emotionally, mentally, and financially; it can be a roller-coaster ride and your judgment may be clouded. It’s best that you pick a good divorce lawyer that will not only be rational, but is also honest about the potential outcome and is transparent and truthful on how affordable the legal fees are so you can plan and budget accordingly.

According to the Department of Statistics Singapore, more than 21,000 couples got married in 2018 and in that same year, more than 5,000 marriages ended up in a divorce. If divorce has ever crossed your mind or have finally come up with a decision to file for one, here are some question to ask yourself when it comes to finding a good divorce lawyer for you: 
 
1. “Is the divorce lawyer a good listener?”
Communication is a two-way street, and to be understood, one should be willing to listen as well. After listening to your issues, you have to consider whether the potential divorce lawyer has sufficient experience to deal with your unique family situation and present to you expert views concisely and in terms that are easy to understand.

And this isn’t just when it comes to ‘client-and-lawyer’ relationship, it also applies between lawyers. If your lawyer is experienced and good natured, she may be friends with other lawyers in the court; this may increase your chance of a quicker and better settlement. If you are reasonable in your terms, or better yet, when both lawyers have been friends for many years, it’s more likely for them to just talk it out!

If you are looking into a mediation instead of a litigation, it is essential that your divorce lawyer articulates your case to the judge mediator well – and negotiate effectively with your spouse and his/her divorce lawyer during the mediation.

Having a good divorce lawyer who ‘listens’ increases your chances of a better case compared to someone who just ‘hears’.
 
2. “Is the divorce lawyer confident and assertive?”

Lawyers are typically assertive, but of course, you would want someone who is bold but isn’t pushy beyond reason. Assertive divorce lawyers are seen as confident and believes on the grounds of what they are fighting for. These kinds of lawyers aren’t afraid to assert their client’s claims with well researched legal principles and tons of real court experience when attacked by the opposing party, which is typical during litigation and trial.

Being assertive is one, but being able to handle a case with grace and WIN it for you may be the ultimate outcome you are looking for.
 
3. “Is the divorce lawyer professional in all his/her actions?”
Cliché as it seems, first impressions lasts. The little details such as being on time, the way they talk, and how they present themselves say a lot about how they are – not only as a potential legal representative, but also as a person who is going to share intimate details of your private life. You may choose a female divorce lawyer, or a male divorce lawyer, as long as you go with someone you are most comfortable with. 

Being polite and respectful is a good sign of professionalism. If your divorce lawyer displays emotions of personal anger in the court, or displays animosity and a “ready-to-fight” characteristic (which inevitably jacks up the legal fees with multiple court applications), then that may not be good for you. You would want a divorce lawyer who doesn’t let his/her emotions get in the way for a quicker and amicable uncontested divorce for the couple, and is always calm under pressure. A good family lawyer should have a mindset that encourages discussions, negotiations for settlement and have a sense of justice, rather than getting into arguments after arguments with your soon-to-be ex-spouse and opposing lawyers.

“In my almost two-decade court experience and dealing with opposing lawyers, I see that respectfulness, being well-mannered, and civility towards the judge and their opponents works better than aggressive litigation who spoils the relationship for everyone right from the start. It’s important to find a good divorce lawyer who possesses these characteristic traits as most judges prefer lawyers who are professional and pleasant compared to those who push their boundaries too much which results to them coming off as annoyingly loud and aggressive – and may even lengthen the litigation period and drain your finances.”

4. “Is the divorce lawyer proactive in their cases?”
In all cases, preparation is key. Whether you are on the plaintiff’s side or the defendant’s, every good divorce lawyer should have a powerful and workable strategy both for the offensive and defensive part – this is where skill and experience come in. They listen, evaluate, and discuss what’s needed to be done.

Most importantly, a good divorce lawyer should hold your hand on each stage of the proceedings and tell you what you need to know and expect – even the small details matter. For instance, you need to know what to wear, how to behave in court and what to say during mediation/trial. How would you know if it’s your first time?

You pay for guidance and service and you should get them from your lawyer. The confidence a good divorce lawyer exudes can only come from her years of experience in the Family Justice Court

5. “Is the divorce lawyer highly-skilled and experienced in and out of court?”

This goes without saying, having real court experience and having won cases must be the only credential a lawyer could possess.

It’s just like a surgeon having his hands on the operation table, you’ll need to trust them that they’re the best and they know what they are doing.

Many young lawyers or young firms call themselves “experienced” despite having just won one case. Falling for this kind of marketing ploy can be easy especially because of the trend of fake news on the internet nowadays.

Talk to the lawyer of your choice and throw them with your queries and difficult questions. The solutions from a real experienced lawyer may amaze you. 

6. “How much will it cost me?”
   There are some law firms who ask for a consultation fee, but at Yeolaw Family Law Specialist, we offer a free non-obligatory legal consultation first to know what we can specifically do for you. Ask your potential lawyer about the legal fees first before hiring them. You are entitled to know how much the entire procedure will cost you – do not hire them until all your queries on costs have been cleared and that you’ve both agreed to the terms and cost.

The best way to go about this is to look for a lawyer who offers fixed fees so that you wouldn’t be left shocked when you see the bill. Also, be wary of advertisements that are ‘too good to be true’. Don’t fall for low priced “no actual professional legal advice”, “hands-off” packages that does not suit you at all. A law firm has to pay rent, offer high salaries for lawyers, legal executives etc. When a law firm charges too low, most likely you have to do the work or even negotiate the terms on your own with your unwilling and sometimes ignorant spouse. 

Yeolaw Family Law Specialist therefore saw the gap in the market for “uncontested divorce” and revolutionized the legal industry with its online DIY portal for uncontested divorce filing www.divorcebureau.com.sg for S$599. But make sure you really are qualified for a fully uncontested and cooperative divorce with 100% agreed terms before using the DIY portal. If you have any doubts with regard to the law, your entitlement, what is fair and what to propose, then you are not qualified for an UNCONTESTED DIVORCE just yet. You should seek for professional legal advice asap for the best positive outcome, without causing unnecessary headache for yourself to navigate the complex legal system and law for the first time.

Again, be careful of  ‘too good to be true’ ads and marketing stunts that are designed and worded to lure you in. It still pays to engage a fully qualified and skilled family divorce lawyer to handle the matter from the start to the end with all your queries fully answered and to save your own time! 
 
If you are looking for experienced family and divorce lawyers who will listen, sympathize, and offer affordable legal assistance, Yeolaw Family Law Specialist is the Family Law firm for you. Our managing director, Yeolaw has over 15 years of actual court experience and have handled over 3500 mediation cases. You may contact us at 6220 3400 for a free, non-obligatory legal consultation to understand your options better.

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  Yeolaw Family Law Specialist offers fixed fees for uncontested divorce, which includes:
  
  – Professional Legal Fees S$750-S$1,450.00
  
  Disbursement and GST:
  
  – court filing fees S$250-350;
  – search fees $80;
  – Commissioning fees S$75-120;
  – GST S$150-200

GRAND TOTAL : S$1,500 – S$2200 (ALL IN) (NO HIDDEN COSTS)

Call us now at 6220 3400