Next Phase of the Maintenance Enforcement Process to Commence on 1 October 2025

19 September 2025 Posted in Press releases

1. The Maintenance Enforcement Process (MEP) is being implemented in phases, following the passing of the Family Justice Reform Act 2023 in Parliament on 8 May 2023. The first phase of the MEP commenced on 16 January 2025. In the second phase, which commences on 1 October 2025, the MEP will expand its coverage to include first-time applications to enforce payment of maintenance arrears of $10,000 or more owed to applicants under maintenance orders.¹

2. The MEP:

a) Deters non-payment of maintenance;

b) Makes enforcement easier when there is non-payment of maintenance;

c) Facilitates sustainable maintenance outcomes; and

d) Increases access to justice for applicants, especially those who are self-represented.

3. Under the MEP, maintenance enforcement applications are referred to Maintenance Enforcement Officers (MEOs) from the Maintenance Enforcement Division (MED) sited in the Ministry of Law. MEOs will conduct conciliation to facilitate amicable and sustainable settlement between parties. In conciliation, which replaces the existing mediation process, MEOs will play a more active role in seeking information and recommending solutions to the parties. The MEOs are also empowered to obtain information from the parties and, if necessary, banks and other third parties such as public agencies.² This will ensure the resolution of the maintenance enforcement application is based on parties' true financial circumstances.

4. The MEOs will then submit a report to the FJC. With the information provided by the MEOs, the FJC can more accurately determine the parties' financial circumstances and distinguish between respondents who cannot pay maintenance and those who refuse to pay. This will help the FJC to make more targeted and effective enforcement orders to recover maintenance arrears.

Second phase of the Maintenance Enforcement Process

5. In Phase 1, the MEP was made available to eligible repeat maintenance enforcement applications.³

6. In Phase 2, the MEP will be made available to first-time applications involving maintenance arrears of at least $10,000.⁴

Applications

7. Applicants who wish to enforce a maintenance order can file their applications directly with the Family Justice Courts (FJC) or through an authorised agency.⁵ The FJC will refer eligible cases to the MED. If the application is not eligible for the MEP, FJC's existing maintenance enforcement process will apply.

8. As with Phase 1, Respondents referred to the MEP because of their failure to pay maintenance as ordered by the Courts will have to pay a fee of $180 for the follow-up undertaken by the MEO.⁶

9. The MEP will be expanded to cover more categories of maintenance enforcement applications in future phases. More updates will be provided when ready.

10. More information on the MEP and MED can be found on the MED's website at https://go.gov.sg/meo.

MINISTRY OF LAW
MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT
19 SEPTEMBER 2025

^{1. This refers to maintenance orders made under the Women's Charter 1961, the Guardianship of Infants Act 1934, the Administration of Muslim Law Act 1966, and the Maintenance of Parents Act 1995.}↩

^{2. This includes the Central Provident Fund Board, the Housing & Development Board, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, the Singapore Land Authority and the Land Transport Authority.}↩

3. An eligible repeat maintenance enforcement application is an application to enforce a maintenance order in respect of which (a) there is at least one concluded maintenance enforcement application (i.e. the application and any appeal have been disposed of, and/or the time for appeal has lapsed); and (b) there is no pending maintenance enforcement application. For more information on Phase 1 of the MEP, please refer to https://go.gov.sg/mep-phase-1. ↩

^{4. If there is any pending appeal against the maintenance order, or the time for appeal has not yet lapsed, the first-time maintenance enforcement application will not be covered in the next phase.}↩

^{5. Eligible applicants can file applications for maintenance order enforcement at: (i) Singapore Council of Women's Organisations, and (ii) ServiceSG Centres at Our Tampines Hub and OnePunggol.}↩

^{6. This fee will be reviewed in subsequent phases to ensure alignment with the objectives of the scheme.}↩

Last updated on 19 September 2025