In Singapore, divorce is governed by the Women’s Charter 1961. Under s 95, the sole ground is that the marriage has broken down irretrievably, which you prove by relying on one of six facts. The application is filed in the Family Justice Courts on either a simplified or a normal track. The outcome depends on your specific facts, so please consult a qualified lawyer.
A divorce in Singapore is a two-stage court process, not a single hearing. The first stage ends the marriage. The second stage decides the ancillary matters: the children, maintenance and the division of matrimonial assets. Knowing which stage you are in, and which track your case is on, is the key to understanding how long it will take and what it will cost.
This guide sets out the process as it currently stands under the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024, which apply to filings commenced on or after 15 October 2024.
Who can apply for a divorce in Singapore
To apply for a divorce in the Family Justice Courts, you or your spouse must satisfy all three of the following:
- Be domiciled in Singapore when the application is filed, or have been habitually resident in Singapore for three years immediately before filing (section 93 of the Women’s Charter). The Family Justice Courts summarise this as being a Singapore citizen or having lived in Singapore for three continuous years before filing. For couples who are not Singaporean, see foreigners divorcing in Singapore.
- Have been married for at least three years. If you have been married for less than three years, you cannot file unless the court grants permission to do so.
- Be married under civil law. Parties married under Muslim law should file in the Syariah Court instead.
The three-year rule is set by section 94 of the Women’s Charter. A couple who separates early in the marriage must either wait until three years have passed since the date of marriage, or apply for the court’s permission to file earlier. Permission is given only on the ground of exceptional hardship suffered by the applicant or exceptional depravity on the part of the respondent. Check your marriage date against your intended filing date before anything else.
If you have at least one child below 21, you must also complete the Mandatory Co-Parenting Programme (CPP) before filing, under section 94A of the Women’s Charter. As at September 2026, the programme is run by the Ministry of Social and Family Development through FAM@FSC centres, consists of e-learning and a consultation with a counsellor, and is free of charge. The completion certificate is valid for two years. Details are on the FamilyAssist CPP page.
The single ground, and the six facts
There is only one ground for divorce in Singapore: that the marriage has broken down irretrievably. Section 95A of the Women’s Charter sets out what constitutes that breakdown. You must show the court that you rely on one or more of the following facts.
| Fact relied on | What it means | When you may file |
|---|---|---|
| Adultery | Your spouse has had sexual relations with someone else and you find it intolerable to live with your spouse. | After you learn of it. If you continue living with your spouse for more than six months after learning of the adultery, you cannot rely on it (section 95A(2)). |
| Unreasonable behaviour | Your spouse has inflicted physical or mental abuse, or otherwise behaved in a way you cannot reasonably be expected to live with. | At any time. Living together for six months or less after the most recent incident is disregarded (section 95A(3)). |
| Desertion | Your spouse has left you against your wishes and completely rejected the marital relationship. | After two years from the date of desertion. |
| Three years’ separation with consent | You have lived separately and apart, or together but in separate households, and your spouse agrees to the divorce. | After three years of separation. |
| Four years’ separation | The same separation, but without your spouse’s consent. | After four years of separation. |
| Divorce by mutual agreement | Both of you agree that the marriage has broken down irretrievably, supported by a written agreement in the prescribed form. | As soon as you both agree. |
The last fact is the newest route and it has its own requirements, including a written agreement filed in Form 2C of the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024. We cover it separately in our guide to divorce by mutual agreement.
Simplified track or normal track
Which track your case takes depends on how much you and your spouse have agreed before filing. For filings from 15 October 2024, the Family Justice Courts place a divorce on the simplified track if both parties agree on all issues relating to the divorce, with or without a full agreement on the ancillary matters. The courts’ step-by-step guide calls these the Simplified Full and Simplified Partial tracks. If the divorce itself is not agreed, the case goes on the normal track.
| Simplified track (Full) | Simplified track (Partial) | Normal track | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When it applies | You have agreed on the divorce and on all ancillary matters before filing. | You have agreed on the divorce, but one or more ancillary matters are still in dispute. | You and your spouse cannot agree on the divorce before filing. |
| What happens in court | Parties and their lawyers are not required to attend the uncontested divorce hearing. | After Interim Judgment, the court gives further instructions for the disputed ancillary matters by Registrar’s Notice. | Case conferences, possible mediation, and hearings for contested issues. |
| Duration | The Family Justice Courts indicate about 4 months for the simplified track, without separate figures for the full and partial versions. | The same court estimate applies, but the Final Judgment waits until the disputed ancillary matters are resolved. | The Family Justice Courts indicate 12 to 18 months to conclude. |
| Relative cost | Lower. | Lower than the normal track, but disputed ancillary matters add cost. | The Family Justice Courts describe it as much more expensive. |
The practical point is that the track is not assigned to you at random. It follows from how much you and your spouse can settle in advance. Every issue settled before filing is one the court does not have to decide afterwards. Our guides to the uncontested divorce process and the contested divorce process go into each in more detail.
The simplified track, step by step
- Agree the divorce and, for the full track, the ancillary matters.
- File the Originating Application for Divorce (Simplified), Form 2A.
- Serve it on your spouse and file the affidavit of service within 14 days.
- The court holds the uncontested divorce hearing, which you do not need to attend.
- The court grants Interim Judgment.
- Extract the Final Judgment after three months, or once any disputed ancillary matters are resolved, whichever is later.
Each step, with the documents and court fees, is set out in our guide to uncontested divorce in Singapore.
Filing a divorce in Singapore through the Divorce eService
The Family Justice Courts run a Divorce eService for the simplified track. You can use it either to apply for the divorce directly, where both parties agree on the divorce and on the ancillary matters (the Simplified Full track), or to generate the documents needed to file a divorce, which you can then discuss with a lawyer.
- Both you and your spouse need Singpass to use it. The form can auto-populate certain fields from MyInfo if you grant access through Singpass.
- The eService itself is free. Filing fees still apply, and they apply whether or not you use it.
- You do not need a lawyer to use the eService. The courts say so plainly, and they also say that applying for divorce is a major decision on which you may want independent advice.
- The same eligibility rules apply: married for at least three years, and married under civil law rather than Muslim law.
The eService handles the paperwork. It does not produce the agreement itself: the ancillary matters must already be settled between you before an application can go through it on the full track.
The normal track, step by step
- File the Originating Application and serve it on your spouse.
- Your spouse files a notice to contest within 14 days and a reply within 28 days, or does not respond.
- Both parties complete the Joint Triage Checklist, and the court holds a case conference.
- If you have a child under 21, the court directs you to mediation and counselling.
- The court hears the divorce and grants Interim Judgment.
- The ancillary matters go through a case conference, affidavits and, if not settled, a hearing.
- Extract the Final Judgment, or appeal the ancillary orders to the Family Division of the High Court.
Deadlines, forms and what happens at each hearing are covered in our guide to contested divorce in Singapore.
If you have been served with a divorce application
This section is for the other side of the process. If the application has been filed against you, you are the respondent, called the defendant under the older rules, and your spouse is the applicant.
- Read what you have actually been served with before deciding anything. The documents tell you which track the matter is on and what is being sought on the ancillary matters.
- You may respond yourself or through a lawyer. If you are represented, your lawyer files the documents. If your spouse has filed and you do not want to take part at all, see what happens if a spouse refuses to sign the divorce papers.
- If you are representing yourself, documents are filed through eLitigation at the Service Bureau, following Part 2 of the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024 and the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024.
- Not filing a notice to contest has consequences. If the respondent does not contest, the matter can proceed as uncontested even on the normal track. Silence is a choice, not a delay.
Disagreeing with the reasons given in the application is not the same as disagreeing with the divorce. Contesting the particulars can add cost without changing an outcome that matters to you, such as care arrangements or the treatment of the flat. Before contesting, identify which outcome you actually want to change.
How long a divorce in Singapore takes
Two things drive the timeline: the track, and whether the ancillary matters settle. The one period you cannot compress is the wait between Interim Judgment and Final Judgment.
| Stage | What fixes the timing |
|---|---|
| Filing to service | The affidavit of service is due within 14 days of filing on the simplified track. |
| Service to Interim Judgment | Court scheduling, and whether the respondent contests. |
| Interim Judgment to Final Judgment | At least three months, or until all ancillary matters are resolved, whichever is later. |
| Whole matter, simplified track | The Family Justice Courts indicate about 4 months to conclude, without separate figures for the full and partial versions. |
| Whole matter, normal track | The Family Justice Courts indicate 12 to 18 months to conclude. |
These court estimates are a guide, not a promise: your own timeline depends on court scheduling and on how quickly the parties file what is asked of them. The three-month minimum after Interim Judgment applies to every case, and ancillary matters that remain unresolved hold back the Final Judgment until they are decided. Our article on the waiting period between Interim and Final Judgment explains what you can and cannot do in that time.
Documents you will need to prepare
The application sets out the parties’ particulars, the basis of the court’s jurisdiction, details of any children, the facts relied on, the orders sought on the ancillary matters and brief reasons. The supporting documents depend on your case, and start with the marriage certificate and, if you have children, their birth certificates and the Co-Parenting Programme certificates. Where the agreed terms involve an HDB flat or CPF monies, further documents are needed. The full list for the simplified track is in our uncontested divorce guide.
Ancillary matters: what still has to be decided
The ancillary matters are the second stage of the process, and they fall into three groups.
- The children. Custody, care and control, and access are three different things and are decided separately. Custody concerns decision-making on major issues. Care and control concerns who the children live with day to day. Access concerns the time the other parent spends with them. Maintenance for the children is decided alongside. See our guide to child custody in Singapore.
- Spousal maintenance. The financial support payable to a wife, or to an incapacitated husband, whether as a monthly sum for a defined period or otherwise.
- Division of matrimonial assets. Which assets are divided and in what proportions, including the matrimonial home, Central Provident Fund monies and joint accounts. If you own an HDB flat, the Housing and Development Board should be approached about the available options. See our guide to the division of matrimonial assets.
Mediation and counselling
On the normal track, where there is any child under the age of 21, the court will direct both parties to attend mediation and counselling at the Family Dispute Resolution Division. This is not an optional extra and it is not a sign that your case is going badly. It gives parents a structured opportunity to agree on arrangements for the children before the court has to impose them.
What changed on 15 October 2024
If you are reading older articles or older court forms, the vocabulary will not match. Filings commenced on or after 15 October 2024 are governed by Part 2 of the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024. Filings commenced before that date continue under the Family Justice Rules 2014.
| Older term you may still see | Current term |
|---|---|
| Writ for Divorce, Statement of Claim, Statement of Particulars | Originating Application for Divorce, with its supporting documents |
| Plaintiff | Applicant |
| Defendant | Respondent |
| Simplified track only where the divorce and all ancillary matters were agreed before filing | Simplified track where all issues relating to the divorce are agreed, with or without a full agreement on the ancillary matters (Simplified Full or Simplified Partial) |
The courts still use both sets of words in places, because both sets of rules are live depending on when a matter was commenced. If a document you have been given uses the older terms, check the filing date before assuming it is out of date.
If you are Muslim
If you are Muslim, the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) and the Syariah Court apply. This article covers civil law only.
What it costs, and whether you need a lawyer
You do not need to have a lawyer in a divorce case. The Family Justice Courts say so directly, and self-represented parties do file matrimonial applications. You may choose to engage one if you want independent advice on the merits of your case or on the ancillary matters. See do you need a lawyer for divorce in Singapore for when advice makes a difference.
Court fees are fixed. As at September 2026, filing a matrimonial application for divorce on the simplified track costs $56, and extracting the Final Judgment costs $14. On legal costs, the reliable statement is a relative one: the Family Justice Courts describe the normal track as much more expensive than the simplified track. That difference is driven by case conferences, affidavits and contested hearings, so the cost of a divorce in Singapore rises with each issue left in dispute. Agreeing on the divorce itself keeps the matter on the simplified track, and agreeing on the ancillary matters as well leaves the court nothing further to decide.
If you would like to talk through which track your situation is likely to follow, our divorce lawyers in Singapore can advise on your options in confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Can I file for divorce in Singapore if I have been married less than three years?
Not as of right. You must have been married at least three years, unless the court grants permission to file earlier. If your marriage is close to the three-year mark, check the filing date carefully.
Do I have to attend court for an uncontested divorce?
On the simplified track, parties and their lawyers are not required to attend the uncontested divorce hearing. Members of the public are not allowed to attend.
What is the difference between Interim Judgment and Final Judgment?
Interim Judgment is the court’s finding that the marriage has broken down irretrievably. It does not by itself end the marriage for all purposes. Final Judgment completes the proceedings, and you can extract it only after at least three months from the Interim Judgment, or once all ancillary matters are resolved, whichever is later.
Do I need my spouse’s agreement to get a divorce?
No. Several of the six facts do not require consent, including adultery, unreasonable behaviour, desertion after two years, and four years’ separation. Consent is required for the three-year separation fact and for divorce by mutual agreement.
Can I change from the normal track to the simplified track?
The simplified track is for parties who have agreed on all issues relating to the divorce before filing, with or without a full agreement on the ancillary matters. Where agreement is reached after proceedings have begun on the normal track, the remaining issues can become uncontested. Whether the file itself moves to a different track is a point to raise with your lawyer or with the court at a case conference.
What happens to our HDB flat?
The flat is dealt with as part of the division of matrimonial assets. The Housing and Development Board should be approached on the options available to you, because eligibility rules affect what the court can practically order.
Which court hears divorce cases in Singapore?
The Family Justice Courts. Appeals from orders made at an ancillary matters hearing go to the Family Division of the High Court, with permission where that is required.
Primary sources
- Family Justice Courts, Divorce
- Family Justice Courts, file a matrimonial application for divorce (simplified track)
- Family Justice Courts, step-by-step guide to the Simplified (Full or Partial) Track
- Family Justice Courts, file a matrimonial application for divorce (normal track)
- Family Justice Courts, Divorce eService
- Women’s Charter 1961, Singapore Statutes Online
- FamilyAssist, Mandatory Co-Parenting Programme
- FamilyAssist, Ministry of Social and Family Development
Last reviewed: 30 September 2026, against the Women’s Charter 1961, the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024 and the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024. Court fees and timelines are stated as at September 2026.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a qualified lawyer for advice on your specific situation.