Soon, Married Couples in S’pore Can Divorce Online Through a Portal If Both Agree to Do So

It seems that everything’s really going online nowadays, whether it’s the sale of seafood, graded exams…

Or divorce proceedings.

Yes folks, you can now take your marriage-related troubles online.

With the full set-up, including online negotiations, available for your perusal.

Couples Can Divorce Online Soon

According to The Straits Times, an online portal, called Litigation Assist, will be launched to assist litigants with the production and submission of divorce-related documents, as well as draft court orders.

Think of it as your routine Student Portal. Just a little less serious.

I’m kidding; it’s very serious.

Couples looking for uncontested divorces and who are unrepresented by lawyers will be able to attain such divorces through the platform, without a need to attend court hearings or formally turn in court documents.

“Where appropriate, it will also connect them with lawyer-mediators who can advise and assist them with online negotiations,” said Chief Justice Menon.

According to him, Litigation Assist would serve to enhance the family justice system.

It’s also a notion that follows the system’s adoption of “therapeutic justice”, a philosophy wherein the law helps divorcing parties to mend their relationships to a functional level.

Restructuring Of Existing Court Processes

Existing court processes will also be restructured in favour of more “upstream services”, such as counselling for families before they apply to the court for a divorce.

For instance, divorcing parties could be referred to in court judgments as “husband” and “wife”, or “father” and “mother”, instead of “plaintiff” and “defendant”.

This is to reflect the bond and responsibilities they share together.

Also, to remind them that they’re not some casual online-dating couple who can just call it quits anytime.

Meanwhile, a curriculum for family court judges will be developed to get them adjusted to the tools available under the novel approach of “therapeutic justice”.

“Similarly, our practitioners must be offered training so that they may advise their clients on the most suitable course for the resolution of familial conflict, and to empower them to exercise the appropriate skills required in each situation,” he said.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Ever since the outbreak, divorces and break-ups have been on a steady incline.

According to the Chief Justice, the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed “inherent fault lines in families”, a notion that has put stress on the relationships within a family.

And ironic as it sounds, Litigation Assist is probably the best tool for the job, considering how it mitigates the risks of the pandemic and allows couples to go through their divorce proceedings in a safe and civil manner.

Oh, the irony.

However, it should be noted that the online proceedings will probably not be as convenient as a grocery trip to fairprice.com.sg.

Apart from the provision of “upstream” services such as counselling and mediation, it’s highly likely that the online protocol will be just as complicated as the real-life 2-stage process, if not more.

But then again, that’s highly understandable considering the nature of human beings.

If it was that easy, you’ll probably see people divorcing each other at the same speed as they go grocery shopping.

After all, human beings do tend to be kinda… fickle-minded.

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