One of the key questions that comes up during divorce proceedings is on child maintenance. What factors determine child maintenance fee in Singapore?
Child maintenance fee in Singapore
Under the Women’s Charter Singapore, every parent has the duty to maintain or contribute to the living expenses of his/ her child, regardless of whether he/ she has custody and whether the child is legitimate or not.
Child maintenance fee in Singapore is payable until the age of 21, unless:
- The child is mentally or physically disabled;
- The child is or will be serving full-time NS (national service);
- The child will be receiving further education and not employed; or
- Other special circumstances.
The Family Justice Courts in Singapore determine the child maintenance fee in Singapore through the consideration of factors such as:
- The financial needs of the child;
- The income, earning capacity (if any) and other financial resources of the child;
- Any physical or mental disability of the child;
- Standard of living enjoyed by the child;
- The manner in which the child was being, or is expected to be, educated or trained; and
- The financial means of both parents.
All of us know that it is expensive to raise a child in Singapore.
If your child is/ will be studying overseas, it just gets more expensive. Other than the tuition fees and basic living expenses, there are hidden costs that you may not be aware of such as:
- Medical fees for illnesses and emergencies which may not be covered under medical insurance;
- Rental expenses if your child is unable to stay on campus; and even
- Overseas fund transfer charges.
See: Peter Lin, “3 hidden costs Singaporean parents often forget about when sending the kids overseas for school”, Moneysmart, 21 May 2017
Will the child maintenance fee in Singapore increase if one party decides to send the child for an overseas education?
This depends on factors (4), (5) and (6) above, that is, the child’s standard of living, manner of education and financial means of the parents.
Not every child in Singapore will receive an overseas education.
There are many other living expenses in Singapore that will need to be considered.
Want to find out how much child maintenance fee in Singapore the child is likely to receive? Contact us today!
You may also be interested to read more about:
2. Annulment (Nullity) of Marriage
5. Maintenance Issues (Alimony)
