Cohabitation not counted when dividing marriage assets: Court

Ruling given in case where couple lived together for 12 years before marrying

Singapore's Court of Appeal ruled it is wrong in principle for the court to take account of the parties' indirect contributions during cohabitation when determining the extent of their contributions to the marriage.
Singapore's Court of Appeal ruled it is wrong in principle for the court to take account of the parties' indirect contributions during cohabitation when determining the extent of their contributions to the marriage. ST FILE PHOTO
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Singapore's top court has ruled that a couple's cohabitation period before marriage is not counted as part of the duration of a marriage when considering how much a spouse gets from their matrimonial assets on divorce.

The length of the marriage is a key factor in dividing matrimonial assets between a divorcing couple based on their direct and indirect contributions during the time span.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 29, 2020, with the headline Cohabitation not counted when dividing marriage assets: Court. Subscribe