Divorce Certs in Singapore: How to Get a Copy and Other FAQs

What is a Divorce Certificate and When Will It be Granted?

A Divorce Certificate is officially known as a certificate issued by the Registrar certifying that the interim judgment for a divorce has been made final. It is also known as the following:

• “Certificate of Final Judgment”
• “Certificate of Making Interim Judgment Final”
• “Certificate of Making Decree Nisi Absolute”

An interim judgment, granted at the end of the first stage of divorce, proves that a marriage has irretrievably broken down.

A final judgment, granted at the end of the second stage of divorce, proves that a marriage has been dissolved.

This is after, all ancillary matters such as child custody, maintenance and division of matrimonial assets have been determined.

A divorce certificate will only be granted upon the final judgment.

What is the Significance of a Divorce Certificate?

A divorce certificate marks the official end of a marriage between 2 individuals. Parties may remarry after getting their divorce certificate.

There may be other situations besides remarriage where a divorce certificate would be required such as dealing with HDB flats upon divorce.

In such a case, be it for the purpose of retaining your flat, purchasing a new flat or selling your flat, HDB may require you to produce your divorce certificate as proof of your divorce.

An application for a divorce certificate is to be made by filing Form 33 of the Family Justice Rules 2014.

A sample of the divorce certificate is reproduced below.

The plaintiff refers to the spouse who applied for divorce proceedings. Correspondingly, the defendant would be the other spouse who is responding to the divorce proceedings.

Who can Apply for a Divorce Certificate?

Generally, the party whom the interim judgment was granted in favour, which is usually the Plaintiff, may apply for a divorce certificate.

When Can the Application be Made?

An application for a divorce certificate should be made 3 months after the interim judgment has been granted or after all ancillary matters have been concluded by the court, whichever is later.

This is unless, permission from the court is obtained to make an earlier application.

What Is the Deadline for a Divorce Application?

The application must be made within:

• 1 year from the date of the interim judgment; or
• 3 months from the date of the last hearing of an application for ancillary relief or counterclaim or any appeal.

What Happens If I Missed the Application Deadline?

If application is not made within the prescribed deadline, the party whom the interim judgment was granted in favour must apply to the court to ask for permission to make the interim judgment final.

Alternatively, the other party may also apply to make the interim judgment final.

If the other party wishes to apply before the deadline has expired, he or she needs to obtain permission from the court.

What is the Application Fee for a Divorce Certificate?

As of 16 October 2018, the fee required to file an application for a divorce certificate is $14.

How to Obtain a Copy of the Divorce Certificate

A certified true copy of a divorce certificate can be obtained through the submission of a request to the court.

A certified true copy will only be available after the application for divorce certificate has been approved by the court.

Information required to obtain a certified true copy

You are required to provide:

• Your NRIC or passport;
• Your divorce case number;
• The name of the document required (i.e. the Certificate to make Interim Judgment Final);
• The filing date of your application for the divorce certificate.

The intended use of the certified true copies should also be clearly stated in your Request, including how these certified true copies are relevant to and necessary for such intended use.

Filing of request for a certified true copy

Submission of a request for a certified true copy of the divorce certificate should be made via the Electronic Filing System (eLitigation) website, unless the application of the divorce certificate has not been filed through eLitigation.

If so, submission of request may be made in person at CrimsonLogic Service Bureau.

If you wish to file your request personally, you may do so at:

Fee for filing request for a certified true copy

As of 16 October 2018, applicants can expect a fee of at least $8 for the first page and $5 for every page thereafter.

Collection of certified true copies

Once you have received the court’s approval for the request, you should print the copy of the request and present it to the Records Section at the Family Registry, Level 3 of the Family Justice Courts, where the staff will verify the request and inform you of any additional fees payable.

After payment of these fees at the Family Justice Courts’ Cashier’s Office, your request will be stamped.

Once you have presented the stamped request to the Family Registry, you will receive the certified true copy of your divorce certificate.

What If I Have Lost My Divorce Certificate?

If you have lost your divorce certificate, you may similarly request for a replacement copy through the above method for obtaining a certified true copy of your divorce certificate.

However, if you have forgotten your case number and require the court to provide you with such information, a $10 search fee will be payable as of 16 October 2018.

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If you face difficulty in obtaining a divorce certificate, you may consider hiring a lawyer to help you with the process.