Law is a broad field that is broken down into smaller domains or specialities. For example, there are civil rights laws, animal laws, media laws, family laws and many more. Lawyers can specialise in these fields. Afamily lawyer in Singapore deals with cases that concern family law, whilst a criminal lawyer is involved in criminal cases.

Family law is a legal practice that deals with issues involving relationships in the family. For example, the divorce procedure in Singapore falls into the family law practice. Couples filing a divorce need a family lawyer who will represent them in court.

But when do you need a family lawyer, and how do you choose one? Continue reading this article to find out the answers.

All You Need To Know About A Family Lawyer In Singapore

Family law is quite an easier law field to practise compared to criminal law and tech law. Criminal law is hard to manage due to increasing crime rates. Tech law is still a relatively new field that needs more judicial resources.

Nevertheless, family law is still complex. Many family lawyers still specialise in subfields of family law, including adoption, child custody, andthe Singapore divorce process.

In this section, we will break down the cases your family lawyer may handle:

A.) Possible Cases A Family Lawyer Handles

Here are the family issues your family lawyer in Singapore can handle.

●    Prenuptial Agreement

Prenuptial agreement refers to the agreement over rights on property and assets between the man and woman before marriage.

A good divorce lawyer in Singapore can present the prenuptial agreement when discussing the division of assets during divorce.

●    Marriage Dissolution

Couples who want to split come to the family court to legalise the end of the marriage. Each spouse can get agood divorce lawyer in Singapore to represent them in court while hearing their divorce. The client shoulders the lawyer fees for divorce as part of the total divorce Singapore cost.

The estranged couple can also undergo annulment and separation.

●    Paternity and Child Custody

Paternity refers to the legal declaration or establishment of the man as the biological father of the child.

Couples usually enter a custody battle as part of thedivorce procedure in Singapore, but unmarried couples can also file one.

●    Adoption

The family court can terminate the parent’s rights over the child if the relationship between the child and parent has been severed due to child neglect, child abuse, and more.

The family court also oversees the adoption process in foster care.

●    Juvenile cases

Besides divorce, a family lawyer in Singaporemay also handle juvenile cases. These cases involve minors in conflict with the law.

●    Employment cases

There are times when the scope of a family lawyer in Singapore overlaps. For example, children’s employment may fall under labour law.

●    Domestic violence

Another possible overlapping scope of a family lawyer in Singapore is domestic or family violence, as it may also fall under criminal law.

It is better to ask a family lawyer or law firm regarding the cases they handle.

B.) How To Choose A Family Lawyer In Singapore

It is vital to find the best family lawyer in Singapore, especially if you need them for the divorce process, which involves complicated child custody, child support, and alimony.

Here are some tips on how to choose a Singapore divorce lawyer:

●    Check the reputation and experience of the family lawyer or law firm.

You can only determine if your chosen lawyer belongs to the cream of the crop based on their credentials and reputation. Are there any notable cases they have handled? Have they handled similar cases as yours? What were the outcomes of these cases? How long have they been practising family law?

●    Consider your comfort and your lawyer’s personality.

As a client, you may be required to disclose your deepest secrets, nasty or not, that are significant to your case.

Generally, you cannot reveal these pieces of relevant information if you feel uncomfortable with your family lawyer in Singaporeor if your personalities don’t mesh together.

●    Consider how they communicate with you.

Communication is crucial in dealing with the Singapore divorce process. Frequently, clients ask questions or need enlightenment about the process. It is unacceptable when your lawyer is radio silent when you need them.

●    Find someone willing to work within your budget.

A large portion of the divorce Singapore cost is attributed to lawyer fees for divorce. Usually, their rate depends on their expertise and reputation in the field.

Family lawyers typically discuss their fees before proceeding with your case.

C.) 4 Reasons Why You Should Be Honest With Your Family Lawyer In Singapore

It is very uncomfortable for clients to disclose their nasty secrets, whether they had an extramarital affair or had hidden some of their wealth from their spouse. But if these pieces of information are significant to the Singapore divorce process, you should confide them to your lawyer.

Here are the reasons why you should be honest with your family lawyer in Singapore:

1. They can help you win the case.

The information you reveal to the lawyer helps them design the best strategy to get the court rulings in your favour. Your lawyer will not judge you; they might have heard much worse than your secrets. Lying to your lawyer will not bring any good.

2. Save money.

Keeping information that could possibly help your Singapore divorce lawyer will only result in staggeringly high lawyer fees for divorce. Why? Because they will spend more time exploring other resolutions when all this time, you can give them the best tool for resolving the case.

3. They can withdraw from your case.

Clients can lose the case when they keep things from their lawyer or lie to them and the court. Losing the case can significantly affect the reputation of your lawyer. Some of them withdraw from your case when they find out you are lying or keeping relevant information from them.

4. Possible legal case

Lying to the court while under oath may result in legal cases, including perjury.

Conclusion

Now you know the cases afamily lawyer in Singapore works on, how to choose one, and why you should be honest with them. It is time for you to find the best family lawyer.

Lie Chin Chin

Do you need a Singapore divorce lawyer? Trust the best of the best in family law at Lie Chin Chin.