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Mar 11, 2010
Defaulters, pay up or else...
Courts to get power to impose more penalties
<!-- by line -->By Carolyn Quek
<!-- end by line -->
<!--background story, collapse if none-->New measures
Deterring defaulters:
Spouses who fail to pay maintenance can be ordered by the court to post a bank guarantee to set aside funds against future defaults.
They can be sentenced to do community service by the courts.
They can also be ordered to go for financial counselling by the courts.
Their spouses can report the maintenance amount owing to them to credit bureaus, to better reflect the credit standing of defaulters.
People registering their second or subsequent marriages must declare any outstanding maintenance debts.
Employers will also get more orders from the courts to deduct the maintenance amount from an employee's salary.
Complaining ex-spouses can, under a soon-to-be-amended law, obtain employment information of defaulters from the CPF Board.
Easier enforcement:
Court processes will be improved to make it easier for complainants to enforce maintenance orders.
Courts will be given powers to order defaulting spouses to provide information on their financial status.
People without lawyers to help them enforce maintenance orders can turn to newly launched centres called Help, or Helping to Empower Litigants-in-Person.
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In announcing the stiffer enforcement actions yesterday, Dr Balakrishnan noted that the number of defaulters continues to rise. -- ST PHOTO: ALBERT SIM
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DEADBEAT dads are in for a hard time.
Courts will be empowered to sentence them to do community service, go for financial counselling or even post a bank guarantee to ensure they do not default on maintenance payments to their ex-wives and children.
New measures are also being put in place to make it easier for ex-spouses to seek and enforce maintenance orders.
These moves, alerted by Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Vivian Balakrishnan last year, are set to come into force by next year.
In announcing the stiffer enforcement actions yesterday, Dr Balakrishnan noted that the number of defaulters continues to rise.
This, despite defaulters facing the threat of jail, fines and court orders that require banks to transfer money from a defaulting spouse to the ex-wife.
Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.
[email protected]
Defaulters, pay up or else...
Courts to get power to impose more penalties
<!-- by line -->By Carolyn Quek
<!-- end by line -->
<!--background story, collapse if none-->New measures
Deterring defaulters:
Spouses who fail to pay maintenance can be ordered by the court to post a bank guarantee to set aside funds against future defaults.
They can be sentenced to do community service by the courts.
They can also be ordered to go for financial counselling by the courts.
Their spouses can report the maintenance amount owing to them to credit bureaus, to better reflect the credit standing of defaulters.
People registering their second or subsequent marriages must declare any outstanding maintenance debts.
Employers will also get more orders from the courts to deduct the maintenance amount from an employee's salary.
Complaining ex-spouses can, under a soon-to-be-amended law, obtain employment information of defaulters from the CPF Board.
Easier enforcement:
Court processes will be improved to make it easier for complainants to enforce maintenance orders.
Courts will be given powers to order defaulting spouses to provide information on their financial status.
People without lawyers to help them enforce maintenance orders can turn to newly launched centres called Help, or Helping to Empower Litigants-in-Person.
<!--end background story-->
<!-- end left side bar -->
<!-- story content : start -->
DEADBEAT dads are in for a hard time.
Courts will be empowered to sentence them to do community service, go for financial counselling or even post a bank guarantee to ensure they do not default on maintenance payments to their ex-wives and children.
New measures are also being put in place to make it easier for ex-spouses to seek and enforce maintenance orders.
These moves, alerted by Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) Vivian Balakrishnan last year, are set to come into force by next year.
In announcing the stiffer enforcement actions yesterday, Dr Balakrishnan noted that the number of defaulters continues to rise.
This, despite defaulters facing the threat of jail, fines and court orders that require banks to transfer money from a defaulting spouse to the ex-wife.
Read the full story in Thursday's edition of The Straits Times.
[email protected]
