Private Investigator in Facebook- SK Investigation Services

Marketing is a strategic part of business that involves creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. I am sure you are wondering why am talking about marketing to a private investigator in Facebook,  but in order for you get clients and retain them, you have to understand how to market yourself and creating a sustainable market niche for yourself. Having a successful business enterprise requires your understanding of the 4Ps of marketing i.e. product, place, price and promotion. Your product is the services you offer as a Singapore private investigator, including all the benefits and values your services represent to the clients. The price is the amount of money the client has to part with for your services; and if the client feels like the service was not worth the value of amount paid, you are in trouble. Make sure you give quality and value for the price charged to the client. Place is the location of your private investigation offices. You may be getting clients from Facebook but how effective is your service from whenever you are located? What are the legal and financial implications of hiring you from wherever you are located and where the most part of the Sg investigation will take place? And the final P is the Promotion where we all know is the core of marketing. This involves viral marketing, advertising, public relations as well as bringing in and retaining new clients as well as old ones.

Now that you have an overview of the 4Ps of marketing, let us now delve into how you can use Facebook as a marketing tool. Whatever branch of private investigation you are specializing in or maybe you have taken up general sg investigative work, I am sure that you do know and understand who your target market is and the products you can offer to them as a private investigator that will be of benefit and value to them. Marketing your services on Facebook is free first and foremost so the only cost you will incur is internet charges from your Internet Service Provider (ISP). As a sg private investigator in Facebook, you may be tempted to use your personal page to market your services. This is not advisable as most of your potential client will not be able to access you and may not even want to friend you. The best way is to open an official fan page for your sg private investigation services and pick a memorable and professional name for your page (preferably your official business name as you cannot change it once created). Put up your contact details and in the profile section, talk about your services in a captivating manner. If the profile page is does not inspire interest, you will not get many people to ‘Like’ your page.

After setting up your business fan page, request your friends and family to ‘Like’ it and encourage their friends and network of Facebook friends to like it. You can have past clients post their testimonials on the page and let people interact with each other. You can also share some tips and tricks of protecting their investments, signs your spouse is cheating and all interesting titbits that is line with sg privateinvestigation. If you keep the fans on your business page engaged, they are more likely to recommend the page to their friends. You can also post links of your various products on the Facebook business fan page and the fans will click on it and be directed to your company site to learn more about your sg privateinvestigation services. As a privateinvestigator sg in Facebook, you have the chance to socialize and market your services at the same time. This can be done by organizing a meet and greet event at your business premises (or somewhere that accommodate a handful of people) and offering a free private investigation sg seminar as well as a day of social interactions. You will get to meet new people and possibly make new business opportunities from the event. You can also post some special offers meant only for your Facebook fans and in that way may create some return business. In all that you do, make sure you take control of your Facebook profile and make it your own so that anybody who sees it will take you seriously as a professional. Happy Facebook Marketing!

By: Singapore Private Investigator Sk Investigation Services

Private investigator in Singapore Facebook: How Facebook helped me as a Private Investigator

Human beings are predisposed to learn things practically than theoretically. No matter how many articles I may write about the benefits of using Facebook as a private investigator or how to use it to position yourself to your target market, you will not take my word for it unless you hear it first hand from your fellow private investigator inSingapore Facebook believe it is due to the saying that seeing is believing. Human beings tend to follow the tried and tested way and many do not want to tread the road less travelled for fear of the unknown. Well, fret not! I have some inspiring testimonies from Singapore private investigators that use Facebook not only to socialize but also to help them in their private investigation endeavours. One of those private investigators I spoke to was Elvira. Elvira has been a private investigator in Singapore and around the Asian continent for the past ten years. She decided to join Facebook two years ago so that she can use as a marketing tool. She writes a blog on private investigation and she used to post the links on her Facebook profile and more and more traffic was received on her blog. That enabled her to bag herself some few more clients from her Facebook profile and in addition to that, giving seminars on online privacy, infidelity investigations and importance of due diligence by posting her YouTube link on her wall earned her some more clients who included attorneys who retained her as a consultant. If used cleverly, Facebook can help you gain more clients and job opportunities like in Elvira’s case.

Su Yung had been contracted by a husband who suspected his wife of having clandestine affairs. Through his network of professional acquaintances and friends, he was encouraged to do some of his investigation on Facebook. After much prodding and encouragement from colleagues who were already in Facebook, Su Yung became a private investigatorin Singapore Facebook by creating a profile page with fake photos and put up information that would entice the client’s wife to add him as a friend as they would have the same interests in common. After the client’s wife accepted his friend request, he had the opportunity to collect as much information from her status updates as well as posts on her wall and her photos. He noted that most of the photos on her albums were of a man who was not her husband and they seemed to be quite intimate pictures. Luckily, the man had been tagged on the photos so all he had to do was do a background check on the man and he set up surveillance on him as well as the wife. He did get the evidence he needed to catch the cheating wife, and if it was not for joining Facebook and snooping around the client’s wife Facebook profile, he would have never known the man existed as they met out if town when she was on business trips. Su Yung cautions that Facebook will not get you all the information you need, and you will be required to do some more digging through other sources, but it does provide a starting point when you have no idea where to begin searching.

The beauty of being a private investigatorin Singapore Facebook is that you will get a chance to network with your colleagues and ask for help whenever necessary. Sharifa and Deepak are part of the same network on a Facebook page that brings about private investigators in Singapore. They say that through that network, they have been able to increase in knowledge on the new investigative techniques as well as learn new skills and get a chance to attend seminars organized by the more seasoned private investigators in their network. Sharifa and Deepak have also gotten a chance to collaborate on a number of cases as each one of them have different investigative skill sets that when brought together make an amazing partnership. They are in fact on the processes of setting up a privateinvestigation agency that they will run jointly. If it was not for joining Facebook and the network of private investigators in Facebook, they would never have met and they would also have never gotten the chance to interact with other investigators and shared knowledge and acquire new skills and investigative techniques. Facebook is a good tool for marketing, networking and conducting investigations. Just make sure you adhere to the principles and ethics that govern the private investigation industry in Singapore and you are good to go!  

By: Singapore Private Investigators SK Investigation Services

How to prevent a cheating spouse

You just witnessed your friend’s partner cheating on him/her and hope the same will never happen to you. You cannot only rely on hope. Love is mysterious in its own way and you never know when your love might stray away from you. A cheating spouse brings numerous problems, not only emotional, but financial and social as well. However, you can stop your partner from having second thoughts about you by just following these simple techniques.

First of all, your partner may give off signs months before she finally cheats on you. You should be well aware of those signs so as to avoid problems in the future. Your partner will seek attention from you. Your partner will have the sudden desire to talk to you or to be comforted by you. These are all signs that you have been neglecting your partner recently. Soon, your partner will feel lonely and start being a pessimist. So make sure you play your part in the relationship and spend adequate time with them. It is not that hard to get distracted by work, friends or chores. You should be more involved in your partner’s work social life. Your partner should feel that you have your priorities set and that relationship comes first. 

Secondly, you should be well informed of your partner’s friend circle. You should also pay attention if he/she mentions any co-worker that he/she admires. Moreover, it is highly likely that if your partner’s social circle consists of people who have cheated on their partners in the past; your partner too will be tempted. To prevent this, you should find new friends for your spouse without hurting their sentiments. Mingle with happily married couples. Your partner will envy them and strive for a better relationship.  If you don’t take proper action with your partner’s friends then you will give birth to a cheating spouse.

Lovemaking also plays a crucial role in having a cheating spouse. If your mate feels that you are not compassionate enough during sexual intercourse, they will start to feel you cannot fulfil their deep desires. Passionate sex is the key to a healthy relationship. Make your lovemaking exciting for your partner. This can be done with the help of intimate toys or by role-playing. A partner who takes little interest in their sex life will make the other partner go out looking for a substitute. Furthermore, honesty is the backbone of every relationship. If you are honest with your loved one from the beginning, he/she will respond back with the same gesture. Your loved one will rarely hide anything from you from thereon. Moreover, a spouse should not nag or control his/her partner’s life. They should give enough liberty so that your loved one does not feel threatened. For example, a wife complaining about her partner’s diet will provoke the partner in thinking that his/her life is being controlled. Cooking meals for your partner, (the ones they prefer) will make them look forward to coming home early.

In conclusion, remember to look for signs when your spouse is becoming distant. To avoid confusion in the future, make a stand against cheating in the beginning. Love your partner to the fullest and be more involved in their life. There might come a time when you will be too late and your cheating spouse will flutter away from you. Moreover, you should not sound desperate if your loved one wants some time-off. It shows you have very little confidence and it will just add to the reason of them leaving you. Do not succumb to your feelings. Remain calm and the universe shall tend to unfold as it should.

By: Private Detective Singapore SK Investigation Services

Who is the Best Private Investigator for Hire?

There will be many private investigators who will say certain things about there services but you should be aware of the caveat emptor i.e. buyer beware. You should look for certain features in a private investigator for hire. Before going to any private investigator you better look up for the specific reasons for which you want to employ an investigator. It would be apt to document your requirements if it is a detailed work. Many companies when hiring private investigators draw up request for proposals. This document will help both you and the private investigator in assessing what is expected of private eye. Because this will assist you in clearly outlining the services needed and let you decide your budget and will save you from undue hustle. However this would not be necessary if it relates to an individual item of service and requires simple work. What qualities should be there in a private investigator? Clients may tell different features than a professional would tell. Professional private investigator individual or organizations outline certain features that a person should take care of when hiring a private investigator.

Apart from knowing about the formal education and experience there are other things when entering into a contract with private investigator, professional outlines certain things for hiring a professional in practice. And they recommend it to people to consider it before hiring. The private investigator for hire should have a license to practice. Because you should be hiring services from licensed investigator who can solve legal issues by generating ease for you rather than getting yourself into trouble by doing something out of his/her scope. So you should request the investigator to reproduces the license before you. You can also check his/her license with certain authorities. After satisfying yourself from license you should check the membership of the investigators with any associations. This will also reveal his/her ratings and recommendations.  Then you can ask for references, references will provide you some information about there work and how they were satisfied with the work of investigator. You can also ask a private investigator to provide a detailed resume. Another thing you should look for is the history and record of their achievements so far. This will give you an understating about their way of doing work.

When you are done with documents then you should personally meet the private investigator. You can arrange a meeting in investigator’s office if they have one, if not then at a place at your convenience. Having an office by the private investigator is good thing but it is not related with good results. A worthy and expert private eye can generate result without offices. However corporate structures usually look for private investigation services agencies with relatively larger staff as their need to hire more than one personnel, so larger agency should have an office. You should talk about the terms of the engagement and any payments. You should also ask whether the investigator is insured or not because it would be safe for you and the investigator if he/she is insured. Be satisfied with the contact details. If investigator agency has a website then do visit the website and check online customer support because customer care services reflects concern for clients needs and efficiency of the organization in providing services. While exploring the website, you may also note the quality of website. This would reflect their commitment to deliver quality. So the best private investigator for hire is in business when he is officially and practically in practice of his profession. 

By: Private Detective Singapore SK Investigation Services

Social Media Investigations: Private Investigator in Singapore in Social Media

Due to technological advances, and the invention of telecommunications devices as well as embracing of Information Communication Technology (ICT) into our day to day activities, the way we interact and socialize has changed. Meeting up with new people or having the coffee and tea dates that characterized the days of old has become less and less visible as more people live their lives on socia lmedia. But what is social media? Social media is a collection of web-based and mobile based technologies which are used to turn communication into interactive discourse amongst organizations, communities, and individuals. The beauty of social media is that you can interact with people who are in different parts of Singapore as well as all around the world with just a click of the button. The advent of social media interaction has also its own downsides and one of them is perpetration of civil and criminal offences, online infidelity and breakdown of the traditional social structures. Most people would rather interact with you via social media than meet you physically for a social outing or a bonding session among friends. A private investigator in social media in Singapore can use this to his or her advantage as it is as ideal a place to conduct his or her investigations.

One of the ways a private investigator inSocial media in Singapore can use it for investigative purposes is by doing a background check. Most people have no idea that whatever they post in social media is considered public information and hence can be accessed by anyone without obtaining a warrant. A private investigator will go through the subject’s social media profile (however many they are) and will get information on what they like, where they usually hang out, who they hang out with, favourite movies, music and food, whether you are a drinker or smoker, you view on life and a lot of other information you can obtain from the subject’s profile. From there, the private investigator will gain valuable insight on the subject and formulate an investigative strategy that will help him or her get the evidence that they may require to close the case successfully. Although the accuracy of information gotten from social media like Facebook, MySpace, and twitter among others is not one hundred percent accurate, it helps the private investigator get a sense of who the subject of investigation is and what their values are and where to find them if need be.

Most businesses and organizations feel like social media reduces employee productivity. Some employees spend more time on the social network in a working day as compared to the time spent doing what they were supposed to do. Most employers have restricted the access their employees have to social media sites, but some of them who do social marketing via social media cannot afford do that. Most hire a private investigator to check on employee misconduct. The private investigator in social media in Singapore will have to find uncanny ways to befriend the employee so that they can monitor their social media activities. Some companies may also hire a private investigator to spy on their competitors using their social media activities. The private investigator will look into what events are coming up, which new products the competitors have come up with and if it is creating a buzz in social media (if you are in twitter, they call it a trending topic), and how many followers (in twitter) , likes and subscribers the competitor has on their social media business page (can also be a fan page). Social media sites is a treasure trove of valuable information on anyone or anything and a private investigator in Singapore should learn how to navigate all these sites if he or she is to stay up to date and relevant in this day and age.

By: Private Detective Singapore SK Investigation Services

GROUND OF ADULTERY

GROUND OF ADULTERY

 

To get a divorce you must have a reason. Some reasons for divorce don't require proof that your spouse was at fault. Other reasons, such as adultery, do require proof of fault. In most states, you may choose to have either a no-fault or a fault-based divorce. In some states, you can only get a no-fault divorce.

Adultery is often defined as voluntary sexual intercourse by a married person with someone besides his or her spouse. While intercourse is usually required, something less may amount to adultery under the divorce laws in some states. Adultery is stated as a reason for divorce in the laws of the majority of states that allow fault-based divorces.

Choosing Between No-Fault and Fault-Based Divorce

A spouse may choose a fault-based reason for divorce even when no-fault divorce is an option. Often no-fault divorce laws require the couple to be separated for a longer time period than when a fault-based reason is given for seeking a divorce. In some states, a spouse who proves the other's fault may receive a greater share of the marital property or more alimony. Marital property is property that both spouses have rights to.

Proof of Adultery

You must have proof to get a divorce based on adultery. A feeling or a belief that your spouse committed adultery isn't enough proof. Adultery can be difficult to prove and requires supporting evidence from an additional person. It's usually not enough for both spouses to admit that one committed adultery. Adultery must be independently proven as fact.

Usually there's no direct proof of adultery, such as eyewitness accounts or photographs, so adultery has to be proven with circumstantial evidence. Circumstantial evidence is indirect evidence based on implications. Adultery may be proven indirectly by showing an opportunity, such as the spouse was in the company of someone else where sexual intercourse could have occurred, and an inclination to commit adultery, such as the spouse and other person were likely to participate in sexual relations under the given circumstances.

To prove adultery, you either need an eyewitness, which is very unlikely, or circumstantial evidence that logically leads to the conclusion of adultery and is inconsistent with the normal behavior you would expect from an innocent spouse. To prove adultery using circumstantial evidence, you would need to show both an inclination and the chance to commit adultery. Proof that two people are inclined to commit adultery may consist of such things as their public displays of affection or their love letters. Proof of opportunity may consist of travel or hotel records.

If your spouse has found someone else and you think the marriage is over, you may want to consult a divorce attorney before you confront your spouse. Your lawyer can advise you on what you should do to get the evidence of adultery that you may need if you decide to file for divorce based on the grounds of adultery.

Maintenance

This section provides a brief summary of the procedures in filing an application for maintenance or for the enforcement of maintenance orders in the Family Court.*

The information provided is general in nature, and is not intended as legal advice.  The staff of the Family Registry cannot provide you legal advice, or assist with drafting the contents of any document.

* Important note: This section deals with applications made and enforced under Part VIII of the Women’s Charter.  Maintenance issues may also be dealt with as ancillary matters in divorce proceedings.  For more information on divorce proceedings, please see the Processes and Procedures: Divorce page in the Processes and Procedures section of this website.

References to legislation

Women’s Charter (Cap 353)

Women’s Charter (Garnishee Proceedings) Rules (Cap 353, R 6, 1998 Rev Ed)

Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Act (Cap 168)

Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act (Cap 169)

Criminal Procedure Code (Cap 68)

Maintenance case flow

How your case may progress through the Family Court:

APPLY for maintenance, or for the enforcement of an existing maintenance order by filing and swearing/affirming a Magistrate’s Complaint

You will be brought before a Magistrate or District Judge.  If your application is in order, the Magistrate or District Judge will direct that a summons to the respondent be issued.

The Court will send a letter to the respondent to inform him or her that attendance in Court is required for service of the summons.  You must also be present on this date.

First day at Court:

If the respondent is present

If the respondent is absent

SERVICE OF THE SUMMONS AND MEDIATION

SERVICE OF THE SUMMONS

The respondent will be served with the summons personally at the Family Court.  If both of you are agreeable, your case will be referred for mediation with a court mediator.

You will have to accompany the Court process server to the respondent’s house for service of the summons.

IF THERE IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PARTIES, CONSENT ORDER RECORDED BEFORE MAGISTRATE OR DISTRICT JUDGE

MENTIONS IN FAMILY COURT 1

On your next Court date, your case will be mentioned in Family Court 1 before a District Judge.  The District Judge will order both parties to disclose financial documents and salary slips, and fix trial dates if the case is ready for hearing.

HEARING IN OPEN COURT

Maintenance trials are heard before a Magistrate or a District Judge in open court.  The open court trial may take up to one day depending on the complexity of the case. 

The Magistrate or District Judge will make the necessary orders after the hearing is over.

ORDER OF COURT

1. Starting proceedings

You must come personally to the Family Court to complete the standard Magistrate’s Complaint form.  You may do this at the Family Registry, Level 1, Family and Juvenile Court Building.

You must bring:

your Marriage Certificate, if any;

your children’s Birth Certificates, if you are applying for their maintenance; and

a copy of the Court order that you wish to enforce, if you are applying for enforcement.

As you are the person filing the Magistrate’s Complaint, you are known as the Complainant.  The person against whom the Magistrate’s Complaint is made is the Respondent.

When you have completed and submitted your Magistrate’s Complaint, you will be taken before a Magistrate or District Judge to have it sworn or affirmed.  To swear or affirm the Magistrate’s Complaint means that you confirm that the contents of what you have written in the form are true and correct.

It is a serious offence to include statements that you know to be untrue or incorrect in a sworn or affirmed Magistrate’s Complaint.

If your application is in order, the Magistrate or District Judge will direct that a summons to the Respondent be issued.

You will have to pay the prescribed fee for the issuance of the summons.

The Family Registry will set a date for the personal service of the summons on the Respondent.  The Respondent will be sent a letter at the address you have provided, to inform him or her that he or she has to attend at the Family Court for the service of the summons.

2. Service appointment

If both the Complainant and the Respondent are present, personal service of the summons will be effected on the Respondent.  If both of you are agreeable, you will be referred for a free mediation service with a Court mediator to see if you can reach a settlement on the maintenance issue.  If a settlement is reached, you will both be brought before a Magistrate or District Judge again to have the settlement recorded as a Court order.  That will conclude your case.  You will both receive copies of the order by post.

If the Respondent is absent from Court on this date, you will have to accompany the Court process server to the Respondent’s address if you wish to proceed with your application.  You will have to pay the prescribed fee for service of your summons by the Court process server.

Once the summons has been served on the Respondent, a date will be set for the mention of your case in Family Court 1.

If you fail to turn up on any of your Court dates, including the date for service of the summons on the Respondent, your application may be struck out. This means that you will have to file another Magistrate’s Complaint, and the same fees will apply.

If you are the Respondent, your failure to turn up will result in the issuance of a Warrant of Arrest against you.

3. Your first Court date

Your first Court date will be a mention of your case in Family Court 1 before a District Judge.  A mention is a short hearing.  It usually lasts only five minutes.  A District Judge may hear up to 30 or 40 mentions per half day session in Family Court 1.

At your mention, the Judge will:

consider whether the case may be resolved by agreement;

give orders on the production of evidence—in maintenance cases, the usual evidence consists of parties’ bank and CPF statements, salary slips, IRAS Notices of Assessments and lists of personal monthly expenses;

give orders on the filing of affidavits, if you or the Respondent have lawyers, or know how to prepare affidavits;

determine how many days are needed for the hearing of your case, and fix trial dates accordingly.

If you have applied to enforce an existing maintenance order, the District Judge may direct the Respondent to show cause as to why he or she has breached the maintenance order, and why enforcement action should not be taken against him or her.  If you are the Respondent, you should ensure that all the documents you want to rely on—for example, any medical reports or letters of retrenchment—are ready to be shown to the Judge on the mention date.

4. Hearing in open court

If you are not able to settle the maintenance dispute with the Respondent, you will each have to give evidence before a Magistrate or District Judge to prove your respective cases.  This will be done in a trial in open court.  If either party wishes to call witnesses at the trial, they should inform the District Judge of their intention during the mention in Family Court 1.

The trial may last anything from an hour or two, to a few days, depending on the complexity of your case.  The District Judge in Family Court 1 will assess this, and decide how much time to allocate to your case.

At the trial, the proceedings will generally take the following structure:

The Complainant gives his or her documents to the Court, and takes the witness stand to give sworn or affirmed evidence.

The Respondent may cross-examine the Complainant on what he or she has said.

The Respondent gives his or her documents to the Court, and takes the witness stand to give sworn or affirmed evidence.

The Complainant may cross-examine the Respondent on what he or she has said.

If either party is represented, the trial will be conducted by their lawyers.  At the end of the hearing, the lawyers will present arguments on behalf of each party.

The Magistrate or District Judge will then make the necessary orders.  This concludes your case.

5. Appeals

If you are not satisfied with the order, you may appeal to a Judge of the High Court.

If you wish to appeal, you must do so by filing a Notice of Appeal (Form 114) in the Civil Registry of the Subordinate Courts.  The Notice must be filed and served within 14 days of the order.  You must also provide security for the other party’s costs of the appeal in the sum of $2,000, if you are appealing against a Magistrate’s order, or $3,000, if you are appealing against a District Judge’s order.  You may wish to refer to Order 55D of the Rules of Court for further details.

Please note that court staff cannot help you with your appeal papers.  If you need a lawyer, or legal advice, you may find it helpful to refer to the General Information page on this website.

6.  Respondents residing outside Singapore

If you want to file a Magistrate’s Complaint against a respondent who resides outside Singapore, you may do so if

you know the respondent’s address in the foreign country; and

the country is one of those which has made arrangements with Singapore on maintenance matters.

These countries are listed in the Maintenance Orders (Facilities for Enforcement) Act (Cap 168) and the Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act (Cap 169).

If you meet these conditions, you may file a Magistrate’s Complaint in the same way that you would if the respondent lived in Singapore.

If you are applying to enforce an existing maintenance order, you must bring a copy of that order when you come to the Family Court to file your Magistrate’s Complaint.  After your Complaint is filed, the Court will send the necessary papers to the authorities in the respondent’s country for enforcement.

If you are applying for maintenance for the first time, you will be given a Court date to attend before a Magistrate or District Judge in open court. You must bring:

your Marriage Certificate, or the children’s Birth Certificates, if you are applying for their maintenance;

information on the respondent’s residential address in the foreign country; and

a photograph of the respondent.

You will give sworn or affirmed evidence, and produce any documents in support of the application—such as, for example receipts for expenses incurred by the child, if you are applying for maintenance of a child.

The Magistrate or District Judge may then issue a provisional maintenance order.  The provisional maintenance order will be sent to the respondent’s country.  The provisional maintenance order must be confirmed there before it becomes effective.

The procedures in each receiving country will vary depending on what mechanisms or practices have been put in place by the competent authorities in that particular country. Staff of the Family Court will not be able to advise you on how long the process will take in the receiving country.

Who Can Ask for Custody of Your Child

The Women's Charter defines a 'child' as a child of a marriage who is under 21 years of age.

Any parent can ask for the custody and/or the care and control/access of the child. However, there may be circumstances where the Judge may feel it is more appropriate to give the custody and/or the care and control/access of your child to a relative or a children's welfare organisation or to order that custody be shared between both parents.

Custody refers to who has legal decision-making authority in the life of a child. The decision-making authority is usually in regard to major life issues such as religion, education, health and activities.

Care and control refers to which parent the child lives with on a day-to-day basis.

Access refers to the periods during which the parent who does not have care and control of the child is granted time to spend with the child.

When to Apply for Custody

You can apply for the custody and/or the care and control/access of your child at any time during the marriage, the separation or the court proceedings for a divorce.

How to Apply for Custody

You will have to apply to the Family or the High Court for the custody and/or the care and control/access of your child. Your lawyer would be able to advise you on the procedures.

Considerations for Custody

When deciding who to give the custody and/or the care and control/access of your child to, the Judge may also consider your wishes and those of your spouse/ex-spouse and the wishes of your child, (if old enough to express an opinion), but the Court considers the interest of the child as paramount.

What Can the Judge Decide

The Judge may, after considering the report of a welfare officer, impose some conditions on the person to whom he grants custody and/or the care and control/access of a child to, such as prohibiting a child from being taken out of Singapore.

Access

When custody and/or the care and control/access is given to one parent, it is usual for the other parent to be given permission to spend some time with the child on a regular basis. This arrangement is called 'access'. The Judge may deny access to the other parent if it is shown that such access will not be in the best interest of the child.

It would be best if both parents can work out a suitable, convenient and reasonable time for access to the child. You should both decide on the time to meet, the place to pick up and the time to return your child and the length of the meeting. After coming to a decision, both parents should stick to the agreement.

If both of you cannot come to an agreement, then make your wishes known to the Judge. The Judge will decide after hearing both sides.

Please understand that the process of divorce or separation will affect your child. In the interest of your child, try to compromise as much as the circumstances permit with regard to access. As far as is possible, the innocent child should not be deprived of either parent.

Counselling and mediation processes are provided at the Family Court. Use the services provided.

Taking your child out of Singapore

If anyone threatens to take your child out of Singapore without your consent, you may apply to Court and obtain an order to prevent him from doing so. If he disobeys the Court order, he may be guilty of contempt and may be fined or imprisoned (if he can be found).

Maintenance

Who can apply for maintenance

Under the law, both parents are responsible for maintaining the child. Whoever has custody, care and control of the child can apply for maintenance.

In cases where a maintenance order is required urgently, an application can be made immediately at the Family Court without having to wait for the commencement or outcome of the divorce proceedings.

The Judge can order either or both parents to pay maintenance for the child. This order can be made any time during the marriage or separation or after the divorce. The order may state that the maintenance is to be paid to the parent having custody, care and control of the child.

Child maintenance

The decision of the Judge on how much maintenance to give to your child depends on a number of factors. The Judge will consider the basic financial needs of your child such as his education, food and lodging expenses. Any physical or mental disability of your child will also affect the amount of maintenance.

Period for custody or maintenance

Usually an order for custody or maintenance will automatically expire or become ineffective after your child reaches his 21st birthday or in the matter of the child's maintenance, when your child is financially independent. Sometimes the Judge can order maintenance for a specific period, even after your child reaches his 21st birthday, such as until the completion of his tertiary education.

However, if your child suffers from any physical or mental disability, the custody and/or the care and control/access or maintenance order may continue until he recovers from that disability, even after he turns 21.

Varying an Order of custody or maintenance

You may make an application in Court to vary or cancel the Order of custody or maintenance in the interest of your child. You may do so if there is a material or important change in the circumstances since the Order was made. Examples are: there is a substantial increase in the salary of either parent, change in health conditions or the remarriage of one parent.

Agreement for custody or maintenance

You can make an agreement for custody and/or the care and control/access or maintenance. However, the Judge may vary the agreement if it is in the interest for the welfare of your child to do so.

Maintenance for Wife or Ex-wife

When can you apply for maintenance

A wife/ex-wife may apply for maintenance during marriage, separation or the course of divorce proceedings.

You need not have to file for a divorce before you apply for maintenance for yourself. You may do so if your husband neglects or refuses to provide you with reasonable maintenance.

If you are undergoing a divorce and do not apply for maintenance during divorce proceedings or your application for maintenance has been turned down by the Court at the conclusion of divorce proceedings, you may not subsequently apply for maintenance.

Maintenance

This depends on a number of factors. The Judge will consider the financial standing and earning capacity of both you and your husband/ex-husband. He will also consider the standard of living enjoyed by both of you during the marriage. Ages of the parties and the duration of the marriage are also factors considered. The Judge will try to place you in the same standard of living, as you would have enjoyed, if the marriage had not broken down.

Period of maintenance

Usually the period of maintenance will last until the wife or the husband dies or the wife remarries.

Varying the Order of maintenance

Either you or your husband/ex-husband may apply to the Court to vary or cancel the Order for maintenance at any time, if the circumstances under which the original order was given have changed.

Arrears of maintenance

If your husband/ex-husband has refused or neglected to pay you the maintenance as ordered by the Judge, you may proceed to recover the arrears by filing an enforcement application to the Family Court. Please consult a lawyer.

Arrears of maintenance can only be recovered up to a period of 3 years before the filing of the enforcement application. Any arrears in excess of the 3 years therefore cannot be recovered under such application.

Enforcement Order

The Judge has the power to impose a fine or even sentence your husband/ex-husband to imprisonment for a term of not more than one month for each month that he is in arrears of maintenance.

You can make your complaint at the Family Court at Havelock Road. The complaint is filed in English. If you need an interpreter, you should request for one at the Family Court. You may be required to accompany the Process Server (a Court Officer) to serve the summons on your husband/ ex-husband. You should find out when and where your husband/ex-husband can be found before you file your complaint. This would save you time and effort in serving the summons.

On the day of the hearing, you should prepare yourself by asking the Maintenance Counter in the Family Court to issue an updated record, showing the arrears of your husband/ex-husband, for the Judge if the Order required him to make payment through the Court.

Attachment Order

The Judge also has the power to make an order that the maintenance be paid by the employer of the husband/ex-husband out of his salary if he holds a steady job and has been defaulting regularly. You should be prepared to provide the Court with the name and address of his employer.

Ancillary Matters Pertaining To Divorce

All divorce writs are first heard in the Family Court in the Subordinate Courts. After an interim judgment for divorce is granted, ancillary matters such as child custody and maintenance are looked into. If there is a dispute regarding the division of matrimonial assets exceeding S$1.5 million, the case and all its outstanding ancillary matters is transferred to the High Court for settlement and conclusion. When a case is transferred to the High Court, a Pre-trial Conference will be arranged for parties to receive directions to ensure that the case is ready for hearing before a High Court Judge. No court hearing fees are payable for family cases. After all ancillary matters are concluded, the High Court will issue a Certificate of Making Interim Judgment Final and the divorce is confirmed. By: Private Investigator Singapore SK Investigation Services