TBZ v TCA: Division of Matrimonial Assets & Maintenance for Adult Children

In the divorce case of *TBZ v TCA*, the Family Justice Courts of Singapore addressed ancillary matters concerning the division of matrimonial assets and maintenance for three adult children. The court, presided over by Valerie Thean JC, ordered an equal division of the matrimonial assets, valued at $21,420,544.91, and outlined specific maintenance arrangements for each child's tertiary education. The husband's maintenance summons against his wife was dismissed, as were the daughter's and younger son's maintenance summonses against their father.

1. Case Overview

1.1 Court

Family Justice Courts of the Republic of Singapore

1.2 Outcome

Equal division of matrimonial assets ordered; specific maintenance arrangements for adult children determined.

1.3 Case Type

Family

1.4 Judgment Type

Judgment

1.5 Jurisdiction

Singapore

1.6 Description

Divorce case concerning the division of matrimonial assets and maintenance for adult children. The court ordered an equal division of assets and specific maintenance arrangements.

1.7 Decision Date

27 July 2017

2. Parties and Outcomes

Party Name	Role	Type	Outcome	Outcome Type	Counsels
TBZ	Plaintiff	Individual	Assets divided equally	Neutral	See Tow Soo Ling of Colin Ng & Partners LLP Zara Mok of Colin Ng & Partners LLP
TCA	Defendant	Individual	Assets divided equally	Neutral	Jasmine Yong of Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP Suchitra A/P K Ragupathy of Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP

3. Judges

Judge Name	Title	Delivered Judgment
Valerie Thean	Judicial Commissioner	Yes

4. Counsels

Counsel Name	Organization
See Tow Soo Ling	Colin Ng & Partners LLP
Zara Mok	Colin Ng & Partners LLP
Jasmine Yong	Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP
Suchitra A/P K Ragupathy	Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP

4. Facts

The parties married in 1991 and have three adult children.
Both parties are successful doctors; the husband is a neurosurgeon, and the wife is a general practitioner.
The wife moved out of the matrimonial home in June 2013.
The husband began a relationship with another woman and had a child in March 2014.
The husband commenced divorce proceedings in April 2014, and the wife filed a counterclaim.
Interim Judgment was granted on the wife's counterclaim in March 2015.
The court found that both parties had engaged in dissipation of marital assets.

5. Formal Citations

TBZ v TCA, Divorce Transfer No 1770 of 2014, [2017] SGHCF 18

6. Timeline

Date	Event
1991-10-20	Parties married
1992-01-01	Eldest child born
1993-01-01	Wife started private practice
1993-01-01	Daughter born
1994-08-31	Husband began fellowship in the UK
1995-01-01	Younger son born
1997-03-03	Husband completed fellowship and returned to Singapore
2009-01-01	Elder son sent to the UK for education
2010-01-01	Daughter and younger son sent to the UK for education
2013-06-01	Wife moved out of the matrimonial home
2013-07-01	Husband began a relationship with A
2014-03-01	Child B born to Husband and A
2014-04-17	Husband commenced divorce proceedings
2015-03-18	Interim Judgment granted on Wife’s counterclaim
2017-05-16	Ancillary matters hearing
2017-07-28	Judgment reserved

7. Legal Issues

Division of Matrimonial Assets
- Outcome: The court ordered an equal division of the matrimonial assets.
- Category: Substantive
Maintenance of Adult Children
- Outcome: The court outlined specific maintenance arrangements for each child's tertiary education, with the husband responsible for the elder son and the wife for the younger son.
- Category: Substantive

8. Remedies Sought

Division of Matrimonial Assets
Maintenance for Adult Children

9. Cause of Actions

Unreasonable Behaviour

10. Practice Areas

Divorce
Family Law
Asset Division

11. Industries

Legal Services

12. Cited Cases

Case Name	Court	Affirmed	Citation	Jurisdiction	Significance
ARY v ARX and another appeal	Court of Appeal	Yes	[2016] 2 SLR 686	Singapore	Cited for the principle of using the Interim Judgment date as the operative date for delineating assets unless circumstances warrant otherwise.
TND v TNC and another appeal	Court of Appeal	Yes	[2017] SGCA 34	Singapore	Cited for the principle that matrimonial assets should be valued as at the date of the ancillary matters hearing, unless a departure is warranted.
TDT v TDS and another appeal and another matter	Court of Appeal	Yes	[2016] 4 SLR 145	Singapore	Commented on by TND v TNC regarding the valuation of matrimonial assets.
Lock Yeng Fun v Chua Hock Chye	N/A	Yes	[2007] 3 SLR(R)	Singapore	Cited for the principle of treating all matrimonial assets as community property to be divided in accordance with section 112 of the Women's Charter.
ANJ v ANK	N/A	Yes	[2015] 4 SLR 1043	Singapore	Cited for the structured approach to determine a just and equitable division of matrimonial assets.
Thery Patrice Roger v Tan Chye Tee	Court of Appeal	Yes	[2014] SGCA 20	Singapore	Cited for guidance on how loans may be treated as paid up.
Chen Siew Hwee v Low Kee Guan (Wong Yong Yee, co-respondent)	N/A	Yes	[2006] 4 SLR(R) 605	Singapore	Cited regarding the treatment of gifts that are not kept separate and are commingled with other funds.
Yeo Chong Lin v Tay Ang Choo Nancy and another appeal	N/A	Yes	[2011] 2 SLR 1157	Singapore	Cited for the principle that different valuation dates may be used for different categories of assets.
Chan Tin Sun v Fong Quay Sim	Court of Appeal	Yes	[2015] 2 SLR 195	Singapore	Cited for the ways in which an adverse inference could be dealt with.
Twiss, Christopher James Hans v Twiss, Yvonne Prendergast	Court of Appeal	Yes	[2015] SGCA 52	Singapore	Cited for the structured approach to determine a just and equitable division of matrimonial assets.
Ang Teng Siong v Lee Su Min	N/A	Yes	[2000] 1 SLR(R) 908	Singapore	Cited for the principle that the ratio of direct contributions to the proceeds from a compulsorily acquired property should be traced into the parties’ contributions to properties financed by those proceeds.
Wong Ser Wan v Ng Cheong Ling	N/A	Yes	[2006] 1 SLR(R) 416	Singapore	Cited regarding the maintenance of adult children.
AUA v ATZ	Court of Appeal	Yes	[2016] 4 SLR 674	Singapore	Cited for the principle that every parent has a duty to maintain or contribute to the maintenance of his or her children.
TIT v TIU and another appeal	Court of Appeal	Yes	[2016] 3 SLR 1137	Singapore	Cited for the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities in relation to the maintenance of children.
O’Brien v O’Brien	New York Court of Appeals	Yes	498 NYS 2d 743	New York	Cited by the Wife to support the argument that a professional license could constitute a matrimonial asset subject to equitable distribution. The court found that this case does not apply in Singapore.
Chamberlain v Chamberlain	Appellate Division of the Supreme Court	Yes	808 NYS 2d 352	New York	Cited by the Wife to support the argument that a professional license could constitute a matrimonial asset subject to equitable distribution. The court found that this case does not apply in Singapore.
TBZ v TCA	Family Court	Yes	[2015] SGFC 41	Singapore	The Interim Judgement of this case.

13. Applicable Rules

Rule Name
Rule 22 of the Family Justice Rules 2014 (GN No S 813/2014)

14. Applicable Statutes

Statute Name	Jurisdiction
Women’s Charter (Cap 353, 2009 Rev Ed)	Singapore
Section 112 of the Women's Charter	Singapore
Section 114(1) of the Women’s Charter (Cap 353, 2009 Rev Ed)	Singapore
Section 69 of the Women’s Charter	Singapore
Section 127 of the Women’s Charter	Singapore
Section 122 of the Women’s Charter	Singapore
Section 68 of the Women’s Charter	Singapore
Section 69(4) of the Women’s Charter	Singapore
Section 29 of the Family Justice Act 2014 (No 27 of 2014)	Singapore
Section 2(a) of the Women’s Charter	Singapore

15. Key Terms and Keywords

15.1 Key Terms

Matrimonial Assets
Interim Judgment
Dissipation
Maintenance
Ancillary Matters

15.2 Keywords

Divorce
Matrimonial Assets
Child Maintenance
Singapore
Family Law

17. Areas of Law

Area Name	Relevance Score
Family Law	95
Matrimonial Assets	90
Maintenance	85
Divorce	80
Child Custody	60
Child Support	60

16. Subjects

Family Law
Divorce
Matrimonial Assets
Child Maintenance