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Going to court for adoption (from 15 October 2024)

Find out when to attend court for your application for an adoption order, what to prepare and the possible outcomes.

Note

When to attend court for an adoption hearing

You may have to attend at least 2 hearings before a judge:

	When it is scheduled	Purpose of hearing
First hearing	After you have submitted your application.	For the court to decide on the: (If applicable) Dispensation of consent of relevant persons. (If applicable) Service of documents on relevant persons.
Final hearing	You will be notified after the Guardian In Adoption's (GIA) affidavit has been filed with the court.	For the court to decide the outcome of your application for an adoption order.

When it is scheduled

Purpose of hearing

First hearing

After you have submitted your application.

For the court to decide on the:

(If applicable) Dispensation of consent of relevant persons.
(If applicable) Service of documents on relevant persons.

Final hearing

You will be notified after the Guardian In Adoption's (GIA) affidavit has been filed with the court.

For the court to decide the outcome of your application for an adoption order.

Attendance is compulsory

The Family Courts will inform you of the date, time and venue of your hearing through post, email or eLitigation.

You or your lawyer (if any) must be present. If neither you nor your lawyer attends, your application may be struck off. This means it will no longer be heard by the court. It may be rescheduled for a hearing only if you provide a valid reason for your absence.

If you wish to change the court date, you have to file a Request for Re-Fixing/Vacation of Hearing Dates via eLitigation at least 3 days before the scheduled hearing date.

If the court grants your request, a new date will be arranged. Otherwise, you are required to attend the court session as scheduled.

Before going to court: what to prepare

You should bring the hard copies of all the documents you have submitted to the court for your application.

Arriving in court for your hearing

Note

If you are asked to attend court physically, you should:

Arrive early and find your way to the venue.
- Refer to the building directory for more information.
Confirm your case is heard in the venue you are about to enter. Inform the court officer before entering, if applicable.
Dress neatly and decently when attending court.
- Refer to the visitors' guide for the dress code.
Speak and conduct yourself in a courteous manner.

At your hearing

What happens during the hearing depends on which hearing you are attending:

At the first hearing

The court will decide on one or more of the following matters:

(If applicable) Dispensation of consent of relevant persons.
(If applicable) Service of documents on relevant persons.

At the second or final hearing

The court will hear your adoption application. During the hearing, the judge may:

Interview you regarding issues raised by the Guardian In Adoption (GIA)'s investigations.
Clarify the GIA's finding.
Direct the case for further investigations.

The judge may decide whether to approve or dismiss your application, or adjourn the case for further information.

Note: You do not need to bring the child to the hearing unless the court has informed you in advance to do so.

Possible outcomes

If the court approves your application, the judge will grant an adoption order. You will need to do the following:

Extract the adoption order and schedule

You will need to extract the adoption order and schedule through eLitigation. This means requesting an official copy of the documents. The adoption order and schedule will be generated by eLitigation.

If you are not represented by a lawyer, visit the LawNet & CrimsonLogic Service Bureau and request to extract the order and schedule. The estimated fee is $50, excluding additional fees payable to the LawNet & CrimsonLogic Service Bureau.

The order will be issued according to one of the following forms, depending on your case:

If the adopted child was born in Singapore	Form 119A of the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024 (DOCX, 52 KB).
If the adopted child was born outside Singapore	Form 119B of the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024 (DOCX, 54 KB)

Note: You must check that the particulars in the adoption schedule are correct. If the biological parent's particulars do not appear in the child's birth certificate, please remove the information from the schedule before extracting the adoption order.

Collect the child's new birth certificate from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority

After the court has issued the adoption order, the court will send the information regarding the order to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). The ICA will inform you to collect the new birth certificate for your adopted child when it is ready.

Contact the ICA for enquiries regarding the child's new birth certificate.

If the court does not approve your application, you will have to return the child to his or her family at your own cost. Where necessary, the MSF may advise you on the welfare and care arrangements for the child.

If you are not satisfied: appeal

If you are not satisfied with the court's decision, you may appeal to the Family Division of the High Court by filing a Notice of Appeal.

You need to file and serve the notice within 14 days after the date the order was made.

You must also provide security for the other party’s costs of the appeal. This will cost $3,000. Find out more about appeals.

Need help?

The information here is for general guidance as the courts do not provide legal advice. If you need further help, you may want to get independent legal advice.

Find out more