CLB v CLC: Child Custody, Care & Control, Access, and Maintenance Dispute Post-Divorce

In the Family Justice Courts of Singapore, the case of CLB v CLC, heard by Debbie Ong J on 1 December 2021, with a decision issued on 21 January 2022, concerned ancillary matters following a divorce, specifically custody, care and control, access, and maintenance for their two children. The court ordered joint custody, granted sole care and control to the Mother, established a structured access schedule for the Father with a facilitator, and mandated monthly maintenance payments from the Father to the Mother for the children's expenses. The court also addressed specific arrangements for school holidays, Chinese New Year, special days, and overseas access, emphasizing the children's well-being and parental cooperation.

1. Case Overview

1.1 Court

Family Justice Courts of the republic of singapore

1.2 Outcome

Orders made for joint custody, sole care and control to the Mother, access arrangements for the Father, and monthly maintenance payments.

1.3 Case Type

Family

1.4 Judgment Type

Grounds of Decision

1.5 Jurisdiction

Singapore

1.6 Description

Singapore court addresses custody, care and control, access, and maintenance for two children post-divorce, prioritizing their well-being and parental equality.

1.7 Decision Date

2. Parties and Outcomes

Party NameRoleTypeOutcomeOutcome TypeCounsels
CLCDefendantIndividualSole care and control grantedWon
CLBPlaintiffIndividualAccess orders grantedPartial

3. Judges

Judge NameTitleDelivered Judgment
Debbie OngJudge of the High CourtYes

4. Counsels

Counsel NameOrganization
Yap Teong LiangT L Yap Law Chambers LLC
Tan Hui QingT L Yap Law Chambers LLC
Chen YiyangTan Kim Seng & Partners
Lee Yuan YuTan Kim Seng & Partners
Oei Ai Hoea AnnaTan Oei & Oei LLC
Chiok Beng PiowAMLegal LLC
Heng Chye Ming FriedrichTan Oei & Oei LLC

4. Facts

  1. The Plaintiff and Defendant were married on 15 September 2003.
  2. There are two children of the marriage, aged 17 and 15 in 2022.
  3. The Interim Judgment of Divorce was granted on 26 July 2019.
  4. The Father sought shared care and control of the children.
  5. The Mother sought sole care and control of the children.
  6. The Father's access to the children was limited to about once every two weeks for no more than three hours each time.
  7. Both parties agreed that the Father shall have overnight access from Friday 6pm to Saturday 6pm or from Saturday 6pm to Sunday 6pm.

5. Formal Citations

  1. CLB v CLC, Divorce (Transferred) No 1639 of 2019, [2022] SGHCF 3

6. Timeline

DateEvent
Plaintiff and Defendant married
Interim Judgment of Divorce granted
Therapeutic counselling ordered for Father and children
Improvement in relationship between Father and children under supervision of Child Protective Service
Hearing on issues of custody, care and control, access, and maintenance
Parties submitted a letter to court with their table of positions on custody, care and control and access, as well as maintenance for the children
Decision issued

7. Legal Issues

  1. Child Custody
    • Outcome: Joint custody was ordered, with both parents having equal parental responsibility.
    • Category: Substantive
  2. Care and Control
    • Outcome: Sole care and control was granted to the Mother, considering the Father's need for guidance and facilitation in his access with the children.
    • Category: Substantive
  3. Child Access
    • Outcome: The Father was granted reasonable day access with the children at least once a week, with arrangements for incremental increases in frequency and duration, and overnight access commencing after six months.
    • Category: Substantive
  4. Child Maintenance
    • Outcome: The Father was ordered to pay $3,700 per month for the maintenance of the children, with costs of tertiary education and insurance to be equally borne between the parties.
    • Category: Substantive

8. Remedies Sought

  1. Custody of the children
  2. Care and control of the children
  3. Access to the children
  4. Maintenance for the children

9. Cause of Actions

  • No cause of actions

10. Practice Areas

  • Divorce
  • Family Litigation

11. Industries

  • No industries specified

12. Cited Cases

Case NameCourtAffirmedCitationJurisdictionSignificance
No cited cases

13. Applicable Rules

Rule Name
No applicable rules

14. Applicable Statutes

Statute NameJurisdiction
No applicable statutes

15. Key Terms and Keywords

15.1 Key Terms

  • Custody
  • Care and control
  • Access
  • Maintenance
  • Interim Judgment of Divorce
  • Facilitator
  • School holiday access
  • Overnight access
  • Joint custody
  • Sole care and control

15.2 Keywords

  • divorce
  • child custody
  • child access
  • child maintenance
  • family law
  • Singapore

17. Areas of Law

Area NameRelevance Score
Family Law95
Child Custody85
Child Support80
Maintenance75
Children's Welfare70
Division of Assets60
Matrimonial Assets60
Parenting50

16. Subjects

  • Family Law
  • Divorce
  • Child Welfare