Urgent family matter
Is a child at risk of being taken overseas, violence occurring, or assets being moved?
Urgent remedies may be available in each of these situations. Timing can affect the practical options available, so early advice may be important. If someone is in immediate danger, call the Police at 999 first.
Which Singapore lawyer can advise on your family matter?
Justin Chan Chambers acts across the full range of family matters in Singapore, from amicable agreed divorces to heavily contested proceedings over children and assets, with particular depth in families whose lives cross borders. Clients work directly with the lawyer running their matter.
Consultation arrangements will be confirmed when you enquire. It is not a brief introduction but a genuine working session: you leave knowing where you stand, what the realistic paths forward look like, and what each is likely to involve.
Children, housing, finances, safety and cross-border arrangements can affect the sequence in which a family matter should be addressed.
How we can help
Matters we handle
How family matters are resolved in Singapore
Family proceedings are heard in the Family Justice Courts, but most family disputes do not end in a contested trial. The courts actively steer parties toward mediation and agreement, particularly where children are involved, and a substantial part of good family lawyering is resolving matters firmly without inflaming them.
Negotiated agreement
Where parties can reach terms, we help record a settlement that is fair and holds up, and put it before the court as consent orders. This is often the quickest and least disruptive path.
Mediation
The Family Justice Courts direct mediation in most cases involving children. We prepare you properly so that mediation is productive, not a staged exercise with an outcome already lost.
Contested proceedings
Where agreement is not possible, we prepare every matter as though it will be tried. That readiness is often what brings the other side to a fair position, and it is essential if a trial becomes necessary.
Justin Chan Chambers advises candidly at the outset which route your situation calls for, so your time and resources go where they matter.
Families that cross borders
International families face a layer that purely local cases never do
A substantial part of Justin Chan Chambers' family practice involves international families: foreign spouses divorcing in Singapore, assets in several countries, children with two passports and two possible homes. Where jurisdiction, enforcement, and immigration status all shape the strategy, the wrong first step is hard to reverse.
This practice area is covered in depth at the Expat Legal Services hub, which addresses the specific issues that arise when a family's life spans more than one legal system.
When to seek advice
Earlier than feels natural. The most expensive family law mistakes are made before a lawyer is involved: moving out without advice, signing agreements under pressure, conceding positions in writing, or waiting while the other side prepares. Justin Chan Chambers offers a free initial consultation.
You will leave the first meeting knowing where you stand, what the realistic paths look like, and what each is likely to involve. Consultation arrangements will be confirmed when you enquire.