Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024

Citation and commencement

2. Application

3. Definitions

4. References to written laws

5. Updating

6. Calculation of time

7. Forms

8. Registrar’s Circulars

8A. Compliance with Practice Directions and Registrar’s Circulars

9. Definitions of this Part

10. Arrangements for the welfare of children

11. Seeking the Court’s approval under section 94A(4) of the Act

12. Cross-application

13. Named person

14. Consent to divorce on the ground of 3-year separation

15. Simplified hearing track for divorce / judicial separation proceedings

16. Case conferences

17. Uncontested matrimonial proceedings

18. Documents for use in trials of contested matrimonial proceedings under Part 10 of the Act

19. Claims for ancillary relief

20. Binding summaries

21. Agreement on claim(s) for ancillary relief

22. Evidence in proceedings for avoidance of disposition

3A: General

23. Definitions

24. Application of this Part 3

25. Application of Practice Directions

26. Bundles of authorities

27. Request for Court records

28. Change of solicitors

29. Other requests

30. Payment in and out of Court

31. Absence of respondent – Category 1 proceedings, Category 2 proceedings and Category 3B proceedings

3B: Category 1 Proceedings

32. Alternative dispute resolution

33. Pre-hearing matters

34. Service of summons under Part 8 or 9 of the Women’s Charter 1961 (except an application made under section 69, 70 or 70A)

35. Documents and affidavits in respect of proceedings under Parts 7, 8 and 9 of the Women’s Charter 1961

36. Appointment of maintenance record officer

36A. Referral of maintenance enforcement application to maintenance enforcement officer

37. Referral for assessment

38. Showing proof of payment

39. Interlocutory and other applications

39A. Substitution of applicant for protection order

3C: Category 2 Proceedings

40. Definitions

41. Application for transmission of Singapore maintenance order

42. Application under section 4 or 5 of the Act

43. Pre-hearing matters

3D: Category 3 Proceedings

44. Pre-hearing matters

45. Interlocutory and other applications

46. Title of proceedings

3I: Enforcement of child access orders

46A. Definitions of this Part

46B. Enforcement of access orders by the Family Courts

46C. Scope of access enforcement application

46D. Commencement documents for access enforcement application

46E. Compliance bond

46F. Application to discharge compliance bond

46G. Application to forfeit compliance bond

46H. Hearings in Court and in chambers

4A: Commencement of Proceedings

47. Documents to be filed at the Registry

48. Information to be provided in cause papers and documents that are filed in the Registry

49. Identification numbers to be stated in cause papers

50. Endorsements on originating processes and other documents

51. Distribution of applications

52. Summonses

53. Notice of Proceedings

4B: Proceedings under the Adoption of Children Act 2022

54. Submission of supporting documents

4C: Proceedings under the Mental Capacity Act 2008

55. Definitions of this Part

56. Documents to be filed

57. Where permission is not required to make an application

58. Where permission is required to make an application

59. Applications involving the appointment of deputies

60. Application for statutory wills

61. Uncontested applications for certain specified matters

4D: Proceedings under the Status of Children (Assisted Reproduction Technology) Act 2013

62. Proceedings under the Status of Children (Assisted Reproduction Technology) Act 2013

4E: Proceedings under the Voluntary Sterilisation Act 1974

63. Proceedings under the Voluntary Sterilisation Act 1974

64. Litigation representative in mental capacity proceedings

65. Mental capacity proceedings: where P ceases to lack capacity or dies

66. Application to be added as a party

67. Appointment of litigation representative for persons under disability

68. Informing of a party’s death in cases where proceedings are to be abated

6A: Service of Documents

69. Personal service of processes and documents

70. Substituted and dispensation of service

6B: Proceedings under the Adoption of Children Act 2022

71. Dispensation of consent and / or service

72. Requirements for substituted and dispensation of service

6C: Proceedings under the Mental Capacity Act 2008

73. Service of application on named respondents and relevant persons

74. Relevant persons

75. Consent of relevant persons

76. Notification of P

77. Responding to an application

7A: Case Management, Mediation and Counselling

78. Judicial case management

79. Case assignment

80. Case conferences

81. Powers of the Court to direct mediation and / or counselling

82. Mandatory counselling and mediation

83. Mediation conducted by the Court

84. Court-ordered private mediation

85. Counselling

7B: Family Neutral Evaluation

86. Family Neutral Evaluation process

87. Confidentiality

7C: Guidance on Direct Judicial Communications

88. Guidance on direct judicial communications in international family proceedings affecting children

7D: Amendment of Documents

89. Amendment of originating application for adoption of child

90. Amendment of documents

90A. Introduction

90B. Definition and objectives of Therapeutic Justice

90C. Purpose and application

90D. The tracks and the triage process

90E. Standard Track

90F. Teams Track

90G. Role of parties and solicitors under the TJ Model

90H. Exercise of judge-led powers and the Court’s discretion as to costs

91. Inspection of original of document disclosed

92. Voluntary request and disclosure

93. How to provide disclosure

94. Relying on documents / information disclosed through correspondence

95. Examination of children

96. Expert Witness Template

97. Application for approval to cross-examine an expert witness

98. Child representative

99. Parenting coordinator

100. Applications without notice for injunctions

101. Injunctions prohibiting the disposal of assets

102. Documents in support of applications without notice for injunctions (including injunctions prohibiting the disposal of assets)

103. Seeking assistance from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (“ICA”) to enforce Court orders or injunctions restraining or prohibiting the taking of a child out of Singapore

13A: Conduct of Court Proceedings and Hearings-Related Matters

104. Attendance at hearings in the Family Justice Courts

105. Weekend / Public Holiday Duty Registrar and Judge at the Family Courts

106. Duty Registrar and Duty Magistrate

107. Request for urgent hearing before Duty Judge

108. Request for urgent hearing dates or urgent hearings prior to the filing of the application through the Electronic Filing Service

109. Requesting a hearing date through the Electronic Filing Service

110. Adjournment or vacation of hearing dates and part-heard cases

111. Absence of parties

112. Attendance of solicitors

113. Absence from Court on medical grounds

114. The Central Queue Management System and Central Display Management System

115. Precedence and preaudience of Senior Counsel

116. Court dress

117. Submissions and examination by leading and junior assisting solicitor

118. Applications under section 43(3) or 57(8) of the Adoption of Children Act 2022 or section 14 of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1934

119. Use of electronic and other devices

120. Publication of and reports and comments on Court cases

121. Production of record of hearing

122. Application for Court records and certification of transcripts for family matters

123. Access to case file, inspection, taking copies of documents and conducting searches

13B: Documents and Authorities for use in Court

124. Filing of documents and authorities for use in Court generally

125. Hearings in chambers

126. Formatting requirements and page limits for written submissions

127. Written submissions and bundles of authorities for special date hearings in the Family Division

128. Citation of written judgments

13C: Consents

129. Consent orders

13D: Evidence – Witnesses, Affidavits and Exhibits

130. Definitions

131. Witnesses

132. Giving of evidence by person outside Singapore through live video link or live television link in any proceedings (other than proceedings in a criminal matter)

133. Form of affidavits

134. Forms that are deemed to be affidavits

135. Non-documentary exhibits to affidavits

136. Documentary exhibits to affidavits

137. Affirming and signing of affidavits in Singapore before, and completing of attestation by, commissioner for oaths through live video link or live television link

138. Affirming of documents by persons who do not understand English, are illiterate or blind

139. Effect of non-compliance

140. Objections to the contents of affidavits of evidence-in-chief

141. Filing directions to the Accountant-General for payment into and out of Court

142. Draft orders of Court

143. Extracting an order granted by consent

144. Unnecessary extraction of orders of Court

145. Order of Court for proceedings under the Mental Capacity Act 2008

146. Appeals under Part 19 of the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024

147. Request for further arguments before Judge

148. Use of presentation slides for all proceedings before the Family Division of the High Court

149. Appeals from tribunals and applications for a case to be stated or by way of case stated to the Family Division under Part 20 of the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024

150. Definitions

151. Basis of assessment

152. Form of bill of costs

153. Electronic filing of bills of costs for assessment

154. Objections

155. Amount allowed as disbursements on account of use of Electronic Filing Service

156. Assessments involving the Public Trustee or the Director of Legal Aid

157. Fixing costs instead of ordering assessment

158. Requests for the bailiff’s attendance

159. Seizure or attachment under an enforcement order

160. Claims and objections to seizure or attachment

161. Sale and valuation of seized property

162. Sale of immovable property

163. Bailiff’s Internet website

164. Examination of enforcement respondent

165. Definitions of this Part

166. Request for waiver or deferment of court fees in Family Division

167. Electronic payment of court fees

168. Stamping of documents

21A: General

169. Application

21B: Electronic Filing under the IELS

170. Proceedings for which the IELS is to be used

171. Establishment of Electronic Filing Service and appointment of electronic filing service provider

172. Appointment of agent to establish service bureau

173. Registered user and authorised user

174. Certificate of Service

175. Form of documents

176. Pagination of documents

177. Filing documents through service bureau

178. Filing of documents to the Family Justice Courts through another service bureau

179. Limits on the size and number of documents submitted using the IELS