Complete Guide For Understanding Adoption Laws Singapore & Child Custody Laws

Adoption is a legal process whereby parental birth rights over a child are bestowed to the applicants. Once an adoption is complete, the parental ties to the original parents are cut off. The adopters become the parents and take on all parental rights, duties, obligations, and liabilities concerning the child. Married spouses may jointly apply for the adoption of a child.

Child adoption in Singapore is fundamentally regulated by the Adoption of Children Act (ACA). Adoption lawyer Singapore provides direction and support on adoptive parents’ ability, procedural elements involved in adoption, legal implications, and other related adoption services.

Residential Requirements to Adopt in Singapore 

A Singapore citizen or 

· A Permanent resident;

· A Holder of an Employment Pass;

· A Dependant's Pass holder 

· Must possess any pass which the family court regards as a valid Singaporean residential status

Additional requirements for Adoption

Age

You and your companion must be more than 25 years of age. Also, you are needed to be at any 21 years older than the child to be adopted. At times, the rules are not rigid. If you are related by blood, you can adopt if you are younger than 25 years or your age is lesser than 21 years older than the child.

The adopting parents are not allowed to be more than 50 years older than the child.

Does marital status make a difference?

Yes. A man who is of single status cannot adopt a female child unless there are exceptional circumstances.

What else should I know about the process?

Anyone who wishes to foster a child must first attend pre-adoption guidance before formally beginning the adoption's legal process.

We offer extensive legal advice, adoption lawyer Singapore and services regarding all aspects of adoption law. Please contact us today through phone or website for a free consultation to better understand your unique situation.

Child Custody

Child Custody decides which parent will be given the authority to care for the child and make major decisions concerning the child during divorce proceedings. In Singapore, custody law applies to every individual, regardless of whether one is a Muslim or non-Muslim. The Judge normally looks at the child's best benefits and may weigh several factors when determining which kind of custody order to grant.

 Four common types of the child custody order in a Singaporean Family Justice Court are:

1. Sole custody order

 Under the sole custody order, the preferred parent will have preferential rights to the child. The parent/guardian who has been awarded custody will be in charge of making important decisions about the child's life, such as education, religion, medical-related matters, etc.

2.  Joint custody order

 Both the parents are awarded equal responsibility and right over the child's benefits under the joint custody order. They must also agree and negotiate with each other and reach an agreement when making vital judgments concerning the child's welfare.

 3. Hybrid order

 The hybrid order is similar to a sole custody order since only one parent will be sole authority over the child. However, the parent awarded custody must consult or obtain the non-custodial parent's consent when deciding on the child's rearing and welfare matters.

4. Split custody order

 The split custody order divides the custody of children to both the parents. This means that one or more siblings' supervision will be granted to the one parent, while the other siblings' supervision will be granted to the other parent.

Our child custody lawyer team will recommend that parents cooperate with one another when it comes to parenting the child. Our child custody lawyers in Singapore specialize in Singapore law.