Interim Access Order Singapore

Increasingly, more parents are coming to me to seek an interim access order Singapore.

When do you need an interim access order Singapore?

You need an interim access order Singapore if:

You have difficulties getting access to your child. For instance, your spouse has left the matrimonial home with the child or you have been “chased out” of the matrimonial home by your spouse.
You are the primary care-giver to your child and it is getting annoying that your spouse simply shows up and demands to see the child.
You are separated and you wish to clarify your access rights to the child.
Your spouse lets you see the child when he/ she “feels like it”. You want some structure in child access.
You want to have more time with your child.
You want to go overseas with your child/ have overnight access to your child.
You are in long-drawn divorce proceedings which do not appear to be ending. You can’t wait for the final divorce order to see the child.

In general, both parents have rights to the child and no parent will “lose the child” per se. The exception would be in child abuse cases, when one parent poses a danger to the child.

Hence, in any of the above situations, an interim access order Singapore will likely be granted. Very often, it is not about whether a parent gets to spend time with the child. It is more about the manner of access. Supervised? Unsupervised? Holidays? Overseas? Overnight?

And of course, the amount of time each parent spends with the child.

Then there is also the question of what you do with your child after you have an interim access order Singapore. Many parents want to spend “quality time” with the children. Of course, it is more fun to go cycling with your child or visit a theme park.

From a family lawyer’s perspective, you should not classify time into “quality time” and “non-quality time”. It may be mundane helping your child with his/ her school work, or teaching him/ her how to brush his teeth but that can help to “create and nurture unique connections with” your children.

See: Kathleen Bellehumeur, “Why I don’t care about spending ‘quality time’ with my kids”, Business Insider, 21 June 2017

If you need help with an interim access order Singapore, contact us today!