Chow Hoo Siong v Lee Dawn Audrey: Division of Matrimonial Assets & Wife's Maintenance
In Chow Hoo Siong v Lee Dawn Audrey, the High Court of Singapore heard an appeal concerning the division of matrimonial assets and the lump sum maintenance awarded to Lee Dawn Audrey following a divorce. The husband, Chow Hoo Siong, appealed the District Judge's orders, arguing that certain assets, including shares gifted to him and a car, should not have been included as matrimonial assets. The High Court allowed the appeal in part, excluding the gifted shares and the car from the divisible assets, adjusting the asset division to a 35:65 ratio in favor of the husband, and increasing the lump sum maintenance to $480,000.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Appeal allowed in part.
1.3 Case Type
Family
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Appeal regarding division of matrimonial assets and maintenance for wife. The court adjusted the division of assets and increased maintenance.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chow Hoo Siong | Appellant, Respondent | Individual | Appeal allowed in part, Lump sum maintenance payment | Partial, Other | Raj Singam, Gopinath Pillai |
| Lee Dawn Audrey | Respondent, Wife | Individual | Appeal allowed in part, Lump sum maintenance payment | Partial, Other | Loh Wai Mooi |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| S Rajendran | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Raj Singam | Drew and Napier LLC |
| Gopinath Pillai | Drew and Napier LLC |
| Loh Wai Mooi | Bih Li and Lee |
4. Facts
- The Husband and Wife were married in the United States of America on 8 February 1989.
- The Wife petitioned for divorce in March 2000 on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour.
- The District Judge ordered the Husband to pay the Wife $1,413,746 as her share of the matrimonial assets and $180,000 as lump sum maintenance.
- The Husband appealed the District Judge's orders.
- The Teo Shares were gifts to the Husband from his parents.
- The District Judge assessed the total value of matrimonial assets held by the Husband to be $5,028,482.90.
- The District Judge assessed the matrimonial assets held by the Wife to be $315,995.78.
5. Formal Citations
- Chow Hoo Siong v Lee Dawn Audrey, Div P 975/2000, RAS 720084/2003, [2003] SGHC 235
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Husband and Wife married in the United States of America. | |
| Husband and Wife relocated to Singapore. | |
| Wife left the family home. | |
| Wife petitioned for divorce. | |
| Decree Nisi was granted. | |
| Hearing on ancillary matters began. | |
| Hearing on ancillary matters concluded. | |
| Appeal heard. | |
| Appeal heard. | |
| Judgment issued. |
7. Legal Issues
- Division of Matrimonial Assets
- Outcome: The court excluded the Teo Shares and the Mercedes Benz from the list of matrimonial assets available for division.
- Category: Substantive
- Sub-Issues:
- Inclusion of gifted assets
- Valuation of shares
- Attribution of loans
- Wife's Maintenance
- Outcome: The court revised the multiplicand to $4,000 per month and set the multiplier at 10 years, resulting in a lump sum maintenance of $480,000.
- Category: Substantive
- Sub-Issues:
- Appropriate multiplier
- Appropriate multiplicand
- Consideration of wife's salary
- Consideration of wife's share of matrimonial assets
8. Remedies Sought
- Division of Matrimonial Assets
- Maintenance
9. Cause of Actions
- Divorce
10. Practice Areas
- Divorce
- Family Law
- Matrimonial Assets
11. Industries
- No industries specified
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koh Kim Lan Angela v Choong Kian Haw | N/A | Yes | [1994] 1 SLR 22 | Singapore | Cited as a case relating to gifts and inheritances decided under the old law, relevant to the determination of matrimonial assets. |
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Women’s Charter | Singapore |
| Women’s Charter s 112(10) | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Matrimonial assets
- Lump sum maintenance
- Teo Shares
- Multiplier
- Multiplicand
- Gifts
- Substantial improvement
15.2 Keywords
- Divorce
- Matrimonial Assets
- Maintenance
- Singapore
- Family Law
16. Subjects
- Family Law
- Matrimonial Assets
- Maintenance
17. Areas of Law
- Family Law
- Division of Matrimonial Assets
- Maintenance