VJV v VJW: Division of Matrimonial Assets and Wife & Child Maintenance Dispute
In VJV v VJW, before the General Division of the High Court (Family Division) of Singapore, the Wife appealed against the District Judge's decision regarding the division of matrimonial assets and maintenance. The District Judge had ordered an equal division of matrimonial assets valued at $796,427.41 and monthly maintenance payments of $1,000 per child and $2,000 for the Wife. The Wife's appeal contested the inclusion of a China property in the matrimonial pool, alleged unilateral withdrawals from the Husband's CPF account, the assessment of indirect contributions, and the adequacy of the maintenance amount. The High Court dismissed the Wife's appeal, upholding the District Judge's original orders.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
General Division of the High Court (Family Division)1.2 Outcome
Wife's appeal dismissed
1.3 Case Type
Family
1.4 Judgment Type
Judgment
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Appeal concerning the division of matrimonial assets and maintenance for wife and children. The court dismissed the appeal, upholding the original decision.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Choo Han Teck | Judge of the High Court | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Yap Gim Chuan | Soh Wong & Yap |
4. Facts
- The parties married in 2004 and have two children.
- The Wife is a Chinese national and Singapore Permanent Resident; the Husband is a Singapore citizen.
- The Wife has been a homemaker since 2004, while the Husband is a senior engineer.
- The District Judge ordered an equal division of matrimonial assets valued at $796,427.41.
- The District Judge ordered the Husband to pay $1,000 per month for each child and $2,000 for the Wife.
- The Wife appealed the inclusion of the China Property, unilateral withdrawals, indirect contribution, and maintenance amount.
5. Formal Citations
- VJV v VJW, District Court Appeal No 155 of 2021, [2022] SGHCF 18
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Parties married in Guangdong, China | |
| Ancillary matters heard | |
| Ancillary matters heard | |
| District Court Appeal No 155 of 2021 | |
| Judgment reserved | |
| Judgment reserved | |
| Judgment issued |
7. Legal Issues
- Division of Matrimonial Assets
- Outcome: The court upheld the District Judge's decision to include the China Property in the matrimonial pool and divide the assets equally.
- Category: Substantive
- Maintenance for Wife and Children
- Outcome: The court found the maintenance order of $3,000 per month to be fair and reasonable, considering the Husband's income and the needs of the family.
- Category: Substantive
- Indirect Contribution to Matrimonial Assets
- Outcome: The court upheld the District Judge's approach, which considered the Wife's contributions toward the welfare of the family and awarded her 50% of the matrimonial assets.
- Category: Substantive
8. Remedies Sought
- Appeal against the division of matrimonial assets
- Appeal against the maintenance order
9. Cause of Actions
- No cause of actions
10. Practice Areas
- Divorce
- Family Law
- Matrimonial Proceedings
11. Industries
- No industries specified
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANJ v ANK | High Court | Yes | [2015] 4 SLR 1043 | Singapore | Cited regarding the approach to division of matrimonial assets based on direct and indirect contributions, but the DJ did not adopt this approach. |
| TNL v TNK and another appeal and another matter | High Court | Yes | [2017] 1 SLR 609 | Singapore | Cited regarding the trend-based approach to division of matrimonial assets in moderately lengthy marriages. |
| BOR v BOS and another appeal | Singapore Court of Appeal | Yes | [2018] SGCA 78 | Singapore | Cited regarding the ordinary range of division of matrimonial assets for moderately lengthy marriages. |
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| No applicable statutes | |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Matrimonial assets
- Maintenance
- Indirect contribution
- China Property
- Unilateral withdrawals
- Homemaker
- Senior engineer
15.2 Keywords
- family law
- matrimonial assets
- maintenance
- divorce
- appeal
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Family Law | 100 |
| Matrimonial Assets | 95 |
| Maintenance | 90 |
| Maintenance (Wife) | 85 |
| Maintenance (Child) | 85 |
| Division of Assets | 80 |
| Division of Matrimonial Property | 75 |
| Child Maintenance | 70 |
16. Subjects
- Family Law
- Divorce
- Matrimonial Assets
- Maintenance