Why the law favours parents who spend more time on kids

Time is money, and this is especially true when it concerns children because the law favours parents who put in more time and effort to care for their kids.

- Tan Ooi Boon

When marriages fail, the parents who made such intangible contributions to take care of the family will get a higher share of the matrimonial assets.

Spouses are often treated as equal partners, but it does not mean that the law is blind to the fact that one party has put in more effort than the other.

When it comes to long marriages, courts tend to put a premium on non-monetary contributions such as taking care of children and running a household.

Here are five cases on how the courts have rated parents for their efforts.

PRIMARY CAREGIVER This case concerns a wife who was a homemaker and the child's primary caregiver. She did so without the father, a domestic helper or other family members.

The husband was often travelling for work, and while he did spend some time with the child, the High Court felt that this did not equate to his being an involved father.

So the wife was given an indirect contribution ratio of 70 to 30 in her favour.