When speaking of divorce cases, there are a lot of legal matters to cover up. If you are in the process of filing a divorce case, you may wish to get child maintenance or popularly known as child support from a spouse. Stressing over child maintenance in Singapore? Click here to get in contact with Singapore Family Lawyer.
Who is obligated to pay child maintenance?
In Singapore, if you are a parent of a child under 21 years old, you are required to provide support to your child. It is called child maintenance or child support. Legally, every parent must maintain their child until they turn 21 years old.
The duty to the child as a parent exists regardless of whether they are still married to each other or not, whether it is a legitimate child or not. Legally speaking, the court can order a child maintenance payment in the form of a lump sum or a monthly allowance.
Factors considering to grant child maintenance
What does the court say when deciding whether to grant child maintenance or not. In Women’s Charter section 69 (4) has a list of factors to consider when deciding on granting child maintenance:
- Child’s financial needs
- Income, earning capacity if any, property, and the other financial resources on both spouse and the child.
- Child’s physical and/or mental disability
- Duration of the marries
- Contributions made of both parties to the welfare of the family
- Standard of living enjoyed by the child (before the spouse refused or neglected to provide reasonable maintenance for the child)
- The manner that the child was being trained or educated
- Any conduct of both parties is unjust for the court to disregard
If the husband can prove that the child is not his by taking a paternity test or DNA test, he can argue against proving the child’s maintenance during the divorce.
What age can a child be entitled to maintenance?
Children who are below 21 years old are entitled to child support or child maintenance. Child maintenance orders cease once the child reaches 21 unless the child:
- Has a mental or physical disability
- Will be or is serving full-time national service
- Still undergoing training for a trade, schooling, vacation, or profession
- Special circumstances that the court is satisfied that the maintenance provision is necessary
Stressing over child maintenance in Singapore? Click here to get in contact with Singapore Family Lawyer. If you want to learn more and ask more questions about child maintenance, look for a divorce lawyer.
