How to prove unreasonable behaviour grounds for divorce in Singapore?

Unreasonable behavior is one of the most common grounds for divorce in Singapore. To prove the unreasonable behavior of the spouse, the petitioner has to provide the court with several written examples of the respondent’s unreasonable behavior, which will consist of their behavior, when and how it occurred, and how it made you feel.

Unreasonable behavior has a very wide meaning and it is done to include any act or failure to act of the other spouse. The court will consider both the parties’ character, attitude, and other attributes and how they both have acted throughout their marriage before the commencement of divorce procedures.

What are the examples of unreasonable behavior?

The examples can include, socializing together, one spouse is dependent on the other in terms of money, not spending time together, and many more. This grounds for divorce in Singapore can also include physical violence, excessive drunkenness, or running up debts. Remember that not every example will be accepted by the court regarding unreasonable behavior.

The most common examples of unreasonable behavior are:

• Lack of sex
• Domestic abuse
• Drunkenness
• Lack of support
• Verbal abuse
• Lack of socializing
• Family disputes

How many examples are required?

To prove grounds for divorce in Singapore, the court will require a 4-5 paragraph explanation regarding each allegation that you have made. These allegations will include your circumstances and make sure that your behavior is not used in any way. Divorce proceedings are a private matter and the grounds for divorce in Singapore should not be shared publicly. If your spouse agreed to the divorce but not the allegations made against him/her, then the respondent can tick a box on the acknowledgment of service form sent to them by the courts, which states that they will not contest the divorce but don’t agree with the allegation made against them. A judge in the court will view if one party believes that the marriage has irretrievably broken down. It depends on the judges to decide whether the grounds for divorce are true or not. Defending a divorce based on unreasonable behavior is costly and there is less chance that it will be successful.

How to word behavior particulars on the divorce petition?

It is necessary to write 4-5 detailed examples of what was the behavior of your spouse.

What is the time duration?

If both the parties agree to live together, then a petition must be filed within 6 months of the last incident of unreasonable behavior. The divorce petition will be filed after 6 months if one party moves out of the matrimonial home, but if you wait then you need to issue a petition based on separation grounds, which will take around 2-5 years and it depends whether the spouse agrees or not.

Does unreasonable behavior affect divorce settlements?

The grounds for divorce in Singapore that you will choose based on your experience will rarely affect the way any finances following a divorce. The judge will also take into consideration the needs of their children when a financial agreement is made.

As there is no bright-line test to determine whether or not any situation comes under unreasonable behavior. We are the Singapore Family Lawyer and our expert Mr. Jonathan Wong is a divorce lawyer and he will help you how to divorce in Singapore and how to prove the grounds for divorce in Singapore. He is well-educated and has many proven records. He will also provide all the legal advice related to your matter.