No-show foreign wife fails to get slice of hubby's $10m assets

Woman who did not attend divorce hearings loses her right to share of husband's assets

- Tan Ooi Boon

A Taiwanese woman who wed a Singapore millionaire almost 20 years her senior after a whirlwind romance might meet most definitions of "gold-digger", especially when she asked for "an expensive house" soon after.

But the twist to this unusual love story was her surprise decision to be a no-show during their divorce hearings, when they eventually split up, and this meant she lost her right to a slice of her ex-husband's $10 million assets.

The case highlights the importance of respecting the law and following the proper procedures if you are caught up in a dispute, especially one involving millions of dollars.

The union must have looked like a match made in heaven for the 40-year-old woman when she married the man, who earns about $60,000 a month. But it lasted barely four years, with her being away most of the time.

The woman was expected to fight for a share of her husband's assets, which exceeded $10 million.

In view of the large sums at stake, the Family Justice Court even transferred the case to the High Court so that her interests would be safeguarded. After all, even a modest share of 3 to 5 per cent for the short marriage could well translate into $300,000 to $500,000.

But she did not bother to take part in the various mediation sessions and hearings; she even rudely logged out midway through one online mediation session via Zoom and failed to return.

Not surprisingly, she was awarded only a token sum of $5,000 as "a clean break".

This case provides a good lesson on why you need to adhere to the correct process in a dispute. In an adversarial system where two parties are given equal opportunities to present their cases, the one who chooses not to follow the rules will almost certainly be the loser.