Rajah & Tann Singapore recently contributed to the Singapore chapter of the Global Practice Guide: Child Relocation 2025 published by Chambers and Partners.
In the Trends and Developments portion of the Child Relocation 2025 guide Singapore chapter, the authors-Family Law specialists, Partners Kee Lay Lian and Yoon Min Joo, Senior Associate Shawn Teo and Associate Sarah Tan, reviewed recent decisions on child relocation by the Singapore courts, which continue to adopt a child-focused, multifactorial approach when determining whether a relocation is in the best interests of the child. In particular, they covered the 2024 High Court (Family Division) case of VZJ v VZK, where the court ruled in favour of the mother who had been the child’s primary caregiver overseas for most of the latter’s young life. The authors also examined the most recent 2025 Family Justice Court decision in XII v XIJ, where the court disallowed the mother’s application for the children’s relocation overseas as it was found that it would be for the best interests of the children for the father to be given custody and control over them.
These recent developments build upon the broader trends and evolving legal standards discussed in the 2024 edition of the Child Relocation Guide, which was also contributed by the authors. In this earlier edition, they provided an overview of significant case developments concerning international relocation of children over the past decade since the seminal 2015 Court of Appeal decision of BNS v BNT, in which there was a significant shift from focusing on the custodial parent’s preferences to prioritising the interests of the non-custodial parent. The courts have since recalibrated their approach to a more comprehensive assessment that takes into account various factors in determining whether relocation would be in a child’s best interests.
The continued adoption by the Singapore courts of the child-centric, multifactorial approach in child relocation cases aligns with the Therapeutic Justice (Therapeutic Justice Model) integrated into Singapore’s family justice system. This model encourages parties to take ownership of the family’s issues and collaborate with each other to achieve timely and enduring solutions to these issues.
The chapter offers practical insights and helpful guidance for legal practitioners advising Singapore-based clients on the complexities of international relocation of children. The full Singapore Trends and Developments chapter can be accessed here.
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