Why Work-From-Home Parents Will Score Better in Matrimonial Disputes

Parents who work from home are likely to be given more credit for taking care of their kids and families in general if the union sours and hits the divorce courts.

- Tan Ooi Boon

After all, being present in the home means they are always available when it comes to dealing with day-to-day chores. This still holds true even when they are engaged with their work at home or enjoying leisure activities such as watching TV or surfing the net.

The importance of work-from-home parents was highlighted in a recent matrimonial dispute in the High Court when the husband questioned the suitability of his ex-wife in taking care of their children as well as her contribution to the household.

In particular, the husband, a bank's client adviser, was also upset at being rated 10 percentage points lower than his wife for indirect contributions even though he also worked from home for a brief spell during the pandemic.

His ex-wife also used to work for a bank but stopped for six years or so to take care of the household and their two kids, aged 20 and 12. She started working again as a part-time baker just months before the marriage ended and now runs a home-baking business.