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How to apply for, enforce, vary, rescind or suspend a maintenance order
Before you apply
Before you file, make sure you:
- Understand what maintenance means and the process of filing an application.
- The maintenance application you wish to make is one pursuant to Part 8 of the Women’s Charter, and filed through the Integrated Family Application Management System (iFAMS). This section does not apply to maintenance applications in divorce proceedings, guardianship cases and maintenance applications made outside the Family Courts.
For applications commenced on or after 15 October 2024, you must be aware of the general provision in the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024 and the procedural rules applicable to your case:
- If you are making an application for fresh maintenance or to vary, suspend or rescind a maintenance order, refer to Part 3 Divisions 1 and 2 of the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024 and Paragraph 35 of the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024.
- If you are making an application for the enforcement of a maintenance order, refer to Part 3 Divisions 1, 2 and 3 of the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024 and Paragraph 35 of the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024.For applications commenced before 15 October 2024, you must be aware of the general provisions in the Family Justice Rules 2014 and the procedural rules applicable to your case:
- If you are making an application for fresh maintenance or to vary, suspend, or rescind a maintenance order, refer to Part 5 Divisions 4 and 6 of the Family Justice Rules 2014.
- If you are making an application for the enforcement of a maintenance order, refer to Part 5 Divisions 4, 5 and 6 of the Family Justice Rules 2014.
General key information
| Who are you | If you are filing the application, you are the applicant or complainant. The party against whom the application is filed is the respondent. |
Can you apply | Refer to this table on who can apply for a fresh maintenance order. You can apply to enforce an existing maintenance order if the respondent does not comply with it. You can also apply to vary an existing maintenance order. |
When to apply | You can file a fresh maintenance application at any time. You can file a variation application any time after the maintenance order was made. You can file an enforcement application after respondent has failed to comply with the terms of the maintenance order. |
Estimated fees | $1 for the issuance of a summons. |
Documents required | Depends on the type of maintenance application. Refer to this list for the relevant documents. |
How to apply | You can apply in person at the Family Justice Courts or at an authorised agency. Note: Before your visit, you are encouraged to submit your application and supporting documents online through the Integrated Family Application Management System (iFAMS). |
Who can apply for maintenance in the Family Courts
You can apply for maintenance in the Family Justice Courts for the following situations:
| You can apply for maintenance for... | From... | If the following applies... |
|---|---|---|
Your child | The other parent. | The other parent neglects or refuses to provide your child with reasonable maintenance. |
Yourself | Your husband. | You are a married woman whose husband neglects or refuses to provide you with reasonable maintenance. |
Yourself | Your wife. | You are an incapacitated husband whose wife has neglected or refused to provide you with reasonable maintenance. |
Yourself | Your parent. | If you are over 21 and at least one of the following applies to you:
|
What you will need
What you need to prepare depends on the type of application you wish to file.
You will need the following documents for a fresh maintenance application:
- Your identity card or passport.
- A photocopy of your marriage certificate.
- (If applicable) A photocopy or digital copy of the birth certificate of each of your children whom you are applying for maintenance for.
- (If you are an incapacitated husband seeking maintenance) A medical report containing the matters prescribed in:
- If you are filing on or after 15 October 2024: Paragraphs 35(4)-(7) of the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024, as well as Form 28A, Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024 (DOCX, 105 KB).
- If you are filing before 15 October 2024: Rule 114A of the Family Justice Rules 2014.
You will need the following documents to apply to enforce an existing maintenance order:
- Your identity card or passport.
- A photocopy of your marriage certificate.
- (If applicable) A photocopy or digital copy of the birth certificate of each of your children.
- A photocopy of each of the court orders for maintenance that you wish to enforce. You will also need to identify the relevant clause(s) of the maintenance order(s) you wish to enforce.
- A calculation of the unpaid maintenance (also known as arrears). This includes:
- A table showing the months where maintenance payments have been breached and the outstanding expenses that need to be paid. You may wish to refer to the following template: Calculation of Arrears (PDF, 40 KB)
- Bank statements of the account designated for payment of maintenance to show the amount that has not been paid.
- (If the maintenance order involves reimbursement) Proof of expenses that have been ordered to be paid under the maintenance order.
You will need the following documents to apply to vary an existing maintenance order:
- Your identity card or passport.
- A photocopy of the relevant court order(s) for maintenance you wish to vary. You will also need to identify the relevant clause(s) of the maintenance order you wish to vary.
- Specific details on how you wish for the maintenance order to be varied.
- If you are applying for (1) fresh maintenance, or (2) variation, rescission or suspension of an existing maintenance order, you will be required to fill up a prescribed form known as an E-Template Statement (ETS). Find out how to prepare an ETS.
Where to apply
You may apply at any of the following locations.
You may visit the Maintenance Registry (Level 1, FJC at Havelock Square) during the operating hours to apply in person.
You may visit the following authorised agencies to file specific types of maintenance applications:
| Type of application | Authorised agency |
|---|---|
Application for fresh maintenance order for wife and children | |
Application to enforce a maintenance order including an order made in divorce proceedings |
|
Do note that you are still required to come to the Family Justice Courts personally to complete the application even upon an online submission.
How to apply
Before you visit: submit documents online
You are strongly encouraged to submit your application and supporting documents online via iFAMS before going to the Family Justice Courts or authorised agencies. Doing so means less time will be spent processing your application at the Family Justice Courts or authorised agency.
Refer to the following steps:
- Log in to Integrated Family Application Management System (iFAMS). Under the Maintenance section, select the appropriate maintenance order application (depending on what you are applying for).
- Fill in the online form.
- Save your work and choose whether you wish to verify your application at the Family Justice Courts or an authorised agency. You will receive a reference number.
- You will have to bring all the supporting documents to the Family Justice Courts or the authorised agency, so that they can be checked or filed together with your application, if required.
Note: For step-by-step instructions on filing a fresh maintenance order, refer to the iFAMS user guide for a maintenance order application.
Visit the Family Justice Courts or an authorised agency
Bring all the required documents to one of the locations to file your application. If you have prepared the ETS before that, you may also upload it into iFAMS and/or bring along the hardcopies. A completed ETS must be uploaded into iFAMS before the start of your trial.
After you apply
If your application is in order, the duty judge will approve it without having to see you.
Otherwise, you will need to:
- Appear before a judge either in person or through video conference. This is usually done on the same day you visit the Family Justice Courts or authorised agency.
- Answer any questions the judge has for you.
- Swear or affirm that the contents of your application and answers are true and correct.
Note
It is a serious offence to include statements that you know to be untrue or incorrect in a sworn or affirmed application.
If your application is approved
If your application is in order, the judge will issue a summons to the respondent. You will need to pay a sum of $1 for the issuance of the summons.
Within 3 weeks after the application is filed, the respondent will be notified of your application in one of the following ways:
- For fresh maintenance applications, the court will serve the summons on the respondent at the address you provided in your application.
- For all other applications, the court will send the summons to the respondent via registered mail.
The court may schedule a maintenance mediation session for both you and the respondent to attend. This is usually 3 weeks after the application is filed.
Note: Ordinarily, the court would direct parties to first attend a court mediation. However, in some exceptional cases, the court may instead direct you and the respondent to attend a court mention instead of mediation.
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
Go to Step-by-step guide
Step-by-step guide
File and serve a maintenance application
Attend mediation
Attend one or more mentions
Attend a hearing
Understand the outcomes and file an application, if needed
2024/10/17
Resources
For filings commenced before 15 October 2024, refer to:
- What you need to know about maintenance applications.
- iFAMS user guide for a maintenance order application (PDF, 551 KB).
- Specimen Government Medical Certificate (DOCX, 18 KB) for absence from court attendance.
Legislation associated with this topic includes:
- Women's Charter.
- Administration of Muslim Law Act.
- Maintenance of Parents Act.
- Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act.
- Guardianship of Infants Act.
- Family Justice Act.
- For filings commenced on or after 15 October 2024: Family Justice (General) Rules 2024.
- For filings commenced before 15 October 2024: Family Justice Rules 2014.
- For filings commenced on or after 15 October 2024, refer to:
- Part 3 of the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024.
- For filings commenced before 15 October 2024, refer to:
- Part VII of the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2015.
Related questions
If there is a basis for a maintenance order to be made against the respondent, a provisional maintenance order can be issued, even if the respondent resides outside Singapore.
However, the respondent must be residing in a country that is listed in the Subsidiary Legislation of Maintenance Orders (Reciprocal Enforcement) Act. You must also know the respondent's address in the foreign country.
If you meet these conditions, you can file a maintenance application by following the same steps described above.
Besides the documents listed for a maintenance application, you will need to submit both of these additional information:
- The respondent's residential address in the foreign country.
- A photograph of the respondent.
If the court grants the provisional maintenance order, it will be sent to the country the respondent is residing in and must be confirmed by the courts there before it becomes effective. If the foreign courts do not confirm the provisional order, it will have no effect.
As the time taken to transmit the documents varies according to the location of the courts in the receiving country and as the confirmation hearing is dependent on the foreign court's schedule, the Family Justice Courts is not able to advise how long the process will take.
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