Debated in Parliament on 13 Jan 2026.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for Law over the past three years, how many applications have been filed with the Family Justice Courts for enforcement of divorce maintenance orders.
Under the Women's Charter 1961 (WC), the Court may make maintenance orders for the provision of financial support for wives, children or incapacitated husbands. Maintenance orders may be made even without divorce proceedings. The Syariah Court may also make orders for maintenance under the Administration of Muslim Law Act 1966, referred to as SYC maintenance orders.
A maintenance enforcement application refers to an application to enforce an existing maintenance order, if the party who is required to make payment under the order fails to do so.
The number of maintenance enforcement applications filed with the Family Justice Courts (FJC) via the Integrated Family Application Management System (iFAMS)1 from 2023 to 2025 in respect of (a) maintenance orders made under the WC and (b) SYC maintenance orders is set out in Table 1 below. This represents the number of applications to enforce maintenance orders made during marriage and during divorce, as the breakdown is not available.
PAPERCUTS