Committee to look into setting norms for child maintenance
A committee has been established to come up with the norms for child maintenance based on actuarial data on family expenses, so that there is more consistency across cases, as well as cost-effectiveness.
Announced by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon yesterday at the opening of the legal year, this will come in the form of a table with which the appropriate quantum of child maintenance can be derived.
It will serve as a “judicial tool” that will not only provide quantitative guidance to judges when deciding on the quantum, but also ensure parity in the awarding of such maintenance by treating parents and children who are in similar situations alike.
“The experiences of other jurisdictions show that such a tool also serves to reduce acrimony and facility settlements between parents by making the calculation and determination of child maintenance more objective, thus helping to free up valuable court resources and judicial time,” said a spokesperson from the Family Justice Courts, in response to queries from TODAY.
The committee will be chaired by Mr Gerard Ee, the president of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants, and Judicial Commissioner Valerie Thean.
Speaking to TODAY in a phone interview, Mr Ee said that there are similar models in countries such as Canada and Germany. Norms will be based on a template that takes into account the cost of living and how much it would cost to raise the child based on different age groups.
While child maintenance is currently determined by factors such as the financial needs of the child as well as whether the child has any physical or mental disability, Mr Ee noted that the maintenance outcome can also be influenced by arguments made by the lawyers.
“When you have a template to refer to, I think the maintenance awarded is less dependent on arguments. So, it’s more equitable,” he said.
Meanwhile, CJ Menon also revealed that the Family Justice Courts are looking to draw up clear standards of professional conduct for family law practitioners, who often deal with competing demands. FARIS MOKHTAR
