A maintenance hearing is a chance for both parties to present their case to a judge. It takes place if an agreement was not reached during mediation.
The hearing usually takes place via an open court trial.
During the previous court mention, the Family Courts will inform you of the date, time and venue of your hearing. You may also check the details through the Integrated Family Management System (iFAMS).
The hearing date will usually be about 4 weeks from the last mentions date. Depending on the number of witnesses and complexity of the case, you may be scheduled for a quarter day, half day, full day or more. The hearing may start at 9.30am, 11.15am, 2.30pm or 4.15pm.
Both the applicant and the respondent must attend the hearing.
If you are absent without a valid reason:
If there is a valid reason for your absence, the court may choose to adjourn the matter.
You may apply to change the court date through the Integrated Family Management System (iFAMS). You must request at least 5 working days in advance and include supporting documents.
For urgent cases, contact the Family Registry at fjcourts_maintpos@fjcourts.gov.sg or 6435 5471.
If the court grants your request, a new date will be arranged. Otherwise, you are required to attend the court session as scheduled.
If you are asked to attend court physically, you should:
You (or your lawyer) will need to present your case to the judge. In general, these are the stages you may expect during the hearing:
What to expect:
What to expect:
What to expect:
What to expect:
After the parties and their witnesses have been examined, each party may present to the court a summary of their case.
The judge will decide whether to make an order for maintenance to be paid, enforced or varied, or to dismiss the application. Find out about the possible orders and outcomes.
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 moreLegislation associated with this topic includes: