What are a wife’s duties of maintenance towards her husband?

What are a wife’s duties of maintenance towards her husband?

With amendments in the Women’s Charter, the law now states that: “the Court may, on the application of an incapacitated husband, and on due proof that his wife has neglected or refused to provide reasonable maintenance for him, order the wife to pay a monthly allowance or a lump sum for the maintenance of that husband.”

See: Section 69 of the Women’s Charter (Singapore)

Further, the Court may now order a woman to pay maintenance to her incapacitated former husband as part of divorce proceedings.

See: Section 113 of the Women’s Charter (Singapore)

During the debates on the amendments in the law, some Members of Parliament argued for more support for men (noting that the current amendments only provide for men who are incapacitated). For example, some MPs argued that men should be offered more protection given that more men are now stay-home husbands.

Other MPs argued that women have some way to go before achieving gender equality. Female labour force participate rate for women between the age of 25 to 39 are lagging. Further, women still lag behind men in terms of “salary, senior management, decision-making roles in organisations including boards.”

Dr Lily Neo asked if the new laws could make it more difficult for women to look after children and their incapacitated ex-husbands.

See: Siau Ming En, “Women must now provide for ill, disabled husbands or ex-husbands”, Today, 1 March 2016

What are a wife’s duties of maintenance towards her husband? For now, a wife’s duties of maintenance towards her husband are limited in the sense that only incapacitated husbands have a chance of getting maintenance from their wives.

Contact us today if you need more information on a wife’s duties of maintenance towards her husband!

You may also be interested to read more about:

  1. Divorce and Separation
  2. Annulment (Nullity) of Marriage
  3. Children’s Issues
  4. Matrimonial Assets
  5. Maintenance Issues (Alimony)
  6. Family Violence

 

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