In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

127 7 Divorce Trends and Patterns In this chapter we will examine marital dissolution so as to complete our account of nuptiality trends and patterns. Divorce, the final outcome of irreconcilable marital discord, is seen to create social problems for the families concerned and for the community at large. It is also common to view a high divorce rate in a society like Singapore as a sign of diminishing family stability and weakening Asian cultural and social values. Not surprisingly, a rising trend in divorce incidence often generates considerable public concern and debate. From the demographic point of view, changes in the divorce incidence would have some impact on the level of fertility since a breakup in marriage will effectively reduce the period of reproductive life of the woman. The study of divorce in some countries is often handicapped by a paucity of statistics owing to the absence of an ongoing system of registering divorce cases and compiling statistics from such cases. Though records of divorce cases have been kept by the relevant authorities in Singapore, it was not until the early eighties that the Department of Statistics launched a project to compile divorce statistics on a regular basis. Two separate sets of divorce statistics are compiled nowadays: Muslim divorce statistics from the register of divorces administered by the Shariah Court, and non-Muslim divorce statistics from the records of divorce case files maintained by the Family Court Registry. The two sets of annual statistics, along with some data for the years 1980–83, are made available in the annual publication entitled Statistics on Marriages and Divorces for the year 1984 onwards.1 These statistics do convey an accurate picture of divorce trends and patterns in Singapore since marriages and their dissolution are effected within the legal framework of the country; marriages and divorces by consensus outside the law are not legally recognised. DIVORCE CUSTOMS AND LAWS The marital dissolution of non-Muslim marriages is not handled by the Registry of Marriages but by the Family Court in accordance with specific sections of the 128 POPULATION OF SINGAPORE Women’s Charter. In instances where the divorce petition is contested, the court would arrive at a decision after hearing the submissions presented by both the parties concerned. If the petition is uncontested, only the party seeking the divorce will be called upon to present the submissions. When the petition is successful, the court grants a decree nisi, which will finally dissolve the marriage when it is converted into a decree absolute after three months, or after a shorter period if the court so orders. During the intervening period, either party may show why the decree nisi should not be made absolute, such as by reason of its having been obtained by collusion or by reason of material facts not having been brought before the court. The particulars pertaining to the divorce eventually approved are kept in the records of the Family Court, which provide the raw data for compiling the divorce statistics. The conditions under which a divorce may be granted are spelt out in the relevant sections of the Women’s Charter.2 In the first place, petitions for a divorce may not be submitted, except in special cases, during the first three years of marriage. This is aimed at discouraging persons from contracting ill-considered marriages and ensuring that marital dissolution is not readily employed to solve matrimonial problems in the early years. The court may, however, allow a petition on the ground that the case is one of exceptional hardship suffered by the petitioner, or exceptional depravity on the part of the respondent. In exercising its discretion, the court has to take into account the interests of the children of the marriage and any reasonable chance of reconciliation between the parties before the end of the three-year period. The court may also refer the differences between the parties to a Conciliation Officer. After three years, a divorce petition may be submitted to the court under any one of the following common grounds: 1. that the spouse had committed adultery and the petitioner finds it intolerable to live with the respondent; 2. that the spouse had behaved in such a way that the petitioner cannot reasonably be expected to live with the respondent; 3. that the spouse had deserted the petitioner for a continuous period of at least two years immediately preceding the presentation of the petition; 4. that both parties have lived apart for a continuous period...

Share