WVN v WVO
Catchwords
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Judges (1)
Counsel (3)
Parties (2)
Case Significance
WVN v WVO [2024] SGHCF 32 was decided by Choo Han Teck J in the General Division of the High Court (Family Division) of the Republic of Singapore, heard on 27 August 2024 with judgment reserved and delivered on 4 September 2024. The matter was District Court Appeal No 24 of 2024, being the Wife's appeal against the District Judge's decision on ancillary matters, and concerned the division of matrimonial assets and maintenance for the wife (catchwords: Family Law — Matrimonial assets; Family Law — Maintenance — Wife).
The appellant (the Wife) was aged 52 and the respondent (the Husband) aged 49; they were married on 20 June 2005 in the United States and have a child aged 10. The Wife holds a Master of Arts in English, was last employed about 14 years ago in the advocacy, sales and marketing team of an overseas charitable organisation at a last-drawn monthly salary of around $5,300, and had never worked in Singapore. The Husband holds a Master of Business Administration and was last employed until 31 May 2023 as the vice president of a Singapore-incorporated company (Company A) at a last-drawn monthly salary of $26,296.19, though the Wife contended he earned $39,535.84 per month after bonus and allowance. The Wife filed for divorce on 28 January 2022 and interim judgment was obtained on 3 March 2022; the matrimonial asset pool was determined as at the interim judgment date by agreement, with assets valued around 18 October 2023 and bank and CPF accounts valued on the interim judgment date. The Wife was represented by Loo Ming Nee Bernice and Tan Si Ying, Gloria of Allen and Gledhill LLP.
Summary
This was a wife's District Court appeal concerning ancillary matters, in which she challenged the District Judge's valuation of the husband's Performance Share Units at zero and the quantum and duration of spousal maintenance and backdated maintenance awarded to her. Choo Han Teck J allowed the appeal, ordering the husband to disclose the number and value of the 2021 Performance Share Units he had received and to pay the wife one-sixth of their total value, to pay her S$2,000 a month in maintenance, and to satisfy a lump sum of S$110,000 by adjustment of the parties' entitlements so that the wife was entitled to S$1,493,388 and the husband to S$1,273,388. The court noted the husband's own appeal had been deemed withdrawn for failure to file the necessary documents, and reserved submissions on costs.
What did WVN v WVO [2024] SGHCF 32 concern?
It was the Wife's appeal in District Court Appeal No 24 of 2024 against the District Judge's decision on ancillary matters, concerning the division of matrimonial assets and wife maintenance. Choo Han Teck J heard it on 27 August 2024 and delivered judgment on 4 September 2024.
What were the parties' circumstances in WVN v WVO?
The Wife, aged 52, and the Husband, aged 49, married on 20 June 2005 in the United States and have a 10-year-old child. Interim judgment was obtained on 3 March 2022; the Husband's last-drawn monthly salary was $26,296.19, which the Wife said reached $39,535.84 with bonus and allowance.
Cases Cited (2)
Referenced in
Legal concepts & references
Judgment
Read the full judgment on the official Singapore Courts portal.
Read on eLitigationSource: eLitigation ([2024] SGHCF 32)