Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

As a general rule, you must have been married for at least two years before filing for divorce (unless special permission is granted by the court).

If you and your spouse are parting amicably and can agree on all terms such as the division of assets, child custody, and alimony, you can file a Joint Petition.

However, if you cannot reach a mutual agreement on these terms, or if your spouse simply refuses to consent to the divorce, you will need to file a Unilateral Petition on your own.

You will need to gather a few essential documents to get started:
- Applicant's Identity Card (IC)
- Marriage Certificate (Sijil Perkahwinan)
- Children's IC/Birth Certificate (if there are children from the marriage)

If the divorce involves the division of assets, please prepare the relevant ownership documents:
- Property: Sale and Purchase Agreement/ Title Deed.
- Vehicles: Vehicle ownership certificate (grant) from the Road Transport Department (JPJ).
- Other Assets: Any other relevant documents proving asset ownership.

Don't worry if you are missing any of the required documents above, you can request replacements from the National Registration Department (JPN), the Road Transport Department (JPJ), or consult lawyer for assistance.

If both parties cannot reach an agreement, or if one party does not agree to the divorce, the other party can file a Unilateral Petition.

The applicant for a unilateral divorce, known as the Petitioner, can present the following grounds for a unilateral divorce against the other party, known as the Respondent:
- The Respondent has committed adultery; or
- The Respondent has behaved unreasonably, making it impossible for the Petitioner to continue living with them; or
- The Respondent has deserted/abandoned the Petitioner for a continuous period of two years or more; or
- The Petitioner and Respondent have lived apart (or in separate rooms) for a continuous period of two years or more.

The divorce petitioner needs to attend court.

For a joint divorce petition, both parties usually only need to attend court once on the hearing date selected by the court.

For a unilateral divorce petition, the number of court appearances for the Petitioner and Respondent varies, depending on the complexity of the case and the judge's requirements.

The duration of the divorce process depends primarily on the court's calendar and scheduling.

For a Joint Petition, the process is relatively straightforward. Once the petition is submitted, the court will set a hearing date in the near future. On the hearing day, the judge will issue a temporary divorce order (Decree Nisi). A permanent divorce order (Decree Absolute) is then typically issued 3 months later, unless the court grants special permission for a shorter timeframe.

Conversely, a Unilateral Petition takes much longer to finalize. This is because the timeline is affected not only by court availability but also by the complexity of the disputes and the facts of the case.

Custody arrangements depend on the type of divorce petition you file:
• Joint Petition: Both parents are free to negotiate and agree on their own custody arrangements.
• Unilateral Petition: Either parent can apply to the court, leaving the final decision to a judge.

When the court is involved, the judge will base their decision on several key factors, including:
• The overall welfare of the children.
• The wishes of both parents.
• The wishes of the children (provided they are mature enough to express an independent opinion).

For children under seven years of age, there is a legal presumption that the mother is better suited for custody. However, the father can challenge and overturn this presumption if he can provide sufficient evidence to prove otherwise.

Any assets accumulated by either or both parties during the marriage are considered Matrimonial Assets.

Matrimonial assets that can be divided upon divorce include:
- Houses
- Cars
- Company shares
- Stocks
- Jewelry
- Bank savings, fixed deposits
- Trust funds/ Unit trusts
- Insurance policies
- EPF (Employees Provident Fund) savings
- Club memberships
- Others

Assets accumulated by both parties during the marriage or acquired because of the marriage are legally defined as Matrimonial Assets.

Matrimonial assets are jointly owned by both parties, and upon divorce, the court will decide the distribution ratio based on the contributions of both parties.

Contribution here does not solely refer to financial contribution.

Taking care of the family, looking after children/ family members, and managing household chores can all be considered as contributions.

Therefore, if the house you are currently living in is a matrimonial asset, even if it is registered only in the other party's name, you can still claim a certain percentage of distribution based on your contributions during the divorce hearing, and you will not be completely left with nothing.

Yes.

If you cannot contact the other party, you can proceed with a unilateral divorce petition and apply to the court for Substituted Service of the divorce petition to complete the divorce process.

No.

If it is a joint divorce petition, there is no need to be separated for two years. You can get a divorce as long as both parties agree.

If it is a unilateral divorce petition, two years of separation is just one of the grounds for divorce, and there are other grounds that can be used (please refer to FAQ "What are the conditions for a unilateral divorce application?").

Therefore, it is not strictly necessary to be separated for two years before getting a divorce.

Yes, but you must have substantial grounds to submit an application to the court and obtain special permission from the court before you can proceed to file a divorce petition.

Yes.

You can file a unilateral divorce petition (please refer to FAQ "How do I know whether I should file for a joint or unilateral divorce petition?" and FAQ "What are the conditions for a unilateral divorce application?").

If you have solid proof of adultery, you can include the third party as a Co-Respondent in the unilateral divorce petition and claim damages for the breakdown of the marriage.

The amount of compensation depends on the situation, there have been cases where the compensation amount reached RM50,000* or even higher.

*[2009] 4 MLJ 409; "The 2nd respondent had to therefore pay the petitioner RM50,000 in damages to be held in trust by the petitioner for the children until they reached the age of 18 years."

If the other party does not comply with the court order to pay alimony, the court can, upon your application, issue an Order of Committal to punish the other party for contempt of court, which could result in imprisonment for the other party.

Alternatively, depending on the situation, you can choose to enforce the judgment through an Execution of Judgment.

Yes, if there is evidence showing that your foreign spouse has run away back to their home country, it constitutes a substantial ground.

You can make a special application to the court, and upon obtaining the court's permission, you can proceed with a unilateral divorce petition (please refer to FAQ "Can I apply for a divorce if we have been married for less than two years?").

A divorce finalized overseas is not immediately recognized by the Malaysian government.

You must first apply to the court to recognize your foreign divorce decree, and then register the foreign divorce certificate recognized by our country's court with the Registrar-General.

Thereafter, the National Registration Department (Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara / JPN) will update the marital records.

You can consult a lawyer in Malaysia to draft the divorce petition and have all the divorce documents sent to you via mail for your signature and attestation overseas.

You can apply for a divorce in the Malaysian courts.

If you cannot apply for a divorce due to specific factors, such as religion, morals, or being married for less than 2 years, you can consider applying for Judicial Separation.

Judicial Separation allows for arrangements to be made regarding residence, child custody, alimony, and child visitation, similar to a regular divorce petition, but the marital relationship is still retained within the National Registration Department (JPN) records.

After obtaining approval for Judicial Separation from the court, if the petitioner feels it is necessary, they can still file for divorce in the future.

Your options depend on where you are in the legal timeline:

• Before the Permanent Order (Decree Absolute):
When a court first approves a divorce, it issues a temporary order called a Decree Nisi. Usually, it takes 3 months before this can be converted into a permanent order (Decree Absolute). If you reconcile before the permanent order is granted, you can simply apply to the court to rescind (cancel) the temporary order and legally resume your marriage.

• After the Permanent Order:
If the court has already finalized the divorce by granting the Decree Absolute, your marriage is legally dissolved. At this point, the only way to be legally recognized as husband and wife again is to completely re-register a new marriage according to standard procedures.

A fast divorce can be achieved with joint petition (uncontested divorce), where both parties agree on all divorce-related issues, such as child custody arrangement, property division, maintenances etc.

Consult a lawyer for the divorce law of Malaysia. Do not make assumptions base on the legal info you learn from TV shows.

在马来西亚注册的婚姻大致可分为两种：
1) 回教徒的婚姻
2) 非回教徒的婚姻

回教徒的婚姻与解除归由各州的回教法管辖。

大马非回教徒解除婚姻（离婚）的模式和方法有二:

1) 双方面协议离婚
2) 单方面离婚

首先，离婚申请者必须已婚超过两年 （除非获得法庭特别允许）。

如果夫妻双方都有好聚好散的意愿，那么基本上都可以选择双方面协议离婚。然后双方可就资产分配，孩子抚养权，赡养费达成协议，向法庭提呈双方面协议离婚呈请书 (Joint Petition)。

反之，如果双方不能达成协议，或其中一方不同意离婚，那么另一方可自行提呈单方面离婚呈请书(Unilateral Petition)。

你需要准备的是：
1. 申请者的身份证 （IC）
2. 结婚证书 （Sijil Perkahwinan）
3. 律师费订金
4. 孩子的身份证/报生纸 （若婚姻内生有孩子）

若牵涉资产分配的离婚申请，则需:
5. 房屋 - 买卖合同/地契
6. 交通工具 - 大马陆路交通局 （JPJ） 车卡
7. 或其他资产证明

如果缺少以上所需的文件，可接洽国民登记局（JPN）, 大马陆路交通局（JPJ）或律师寻求帮助。

如果双方不能达成协议，或其中一方不同意离婚，那么另一方可自行提呈单方面离婚呈请书(Unilateral Petition)。

单方面离婚申请者即 呈请人(Petitioner) 可向另一方即 答辩人 (Respondent) 提出单方面离婚的理据如下:
1. 答辩人有外遇；或
2. 答辩人的行为举止不合理，令到呈请人无法和答辩人继续相处；或
3. 答辩人抛弃/离开呈请人两年或以上；或
4. 呈请人和答辩人已经分居(或分房)两年或以上。

离婚呈请者需要上法庭。

对于双方面协议离婚的呈请，通常双方只需在法庭选定的庭审日(hearing date) 上庭 一次。

至于单方面离婚的呈请， 呈请人和答辩人上庭次数不定，视案情复杂程度与法官要求而定。

这主要取决于法庭的排期。

如果是双方面协议离婚的呈请，在把离婚呈请书提交到法庭后，若无意外，法庭通常会安排在近期内庭审，并在庭审日时由法官颁布暂时离婚庭令(decree nisi)。接下来在3个月后或法庭特别指定更短的时间内颁布永久性离婚庭令(decree absolute)。

如果是单方面离婚的呈请，则需要更长的时间。因为除了法庭的排期因素，还受案情复杂程度的影响。

双方面协议离婚呈请书 (JOINT PETITION): 双方可以自由协商和安排。

单方面离婚呈请书 (UNILATERAL PETITION): 其中一方可以向法庭提出申请，让法官作出判决。

法官将会根据各种因素做出决定。决定的因素包括:
1. 孩子们的福利
2. 父母亲的意愿
3. 孩子们的意愿 (如果孩子有能力表达其独立的意愿）。

如果孩子的年龄小过七岁，法官将假设孩子的母亲比较适合拥有抚养权，除非孩子的父亲可以证明或推翻这个假设。

双方在婚姻期间累积的资产或因为这段婚姻而获得的资产，在法律上定义为婚姻资产( MATRIMONIAL ASSETS)。

离婚时可以被分配的婚姻资产包括:
• 房子
• 汽车
• 公司股份
• 股票
• 珠宝
• 银行存款，定期存款
• 信托基金
• 保险保单
• 公积金存款
• 俱乐部会员
• 其他

双方在婚姻期间累积的资产或因为这段婚姻而获得的资产，在法律上定义为婚姻资产（Matrimonial Assets）。

婚姻资产是双方共有的，在离婚时法庭会依据双方的贡献（Contribution）而决定分配的比例。而贡献（Contribution）在这儿也不是单单指金钱方面的贡献。举凡照顾家庭，看护家人小孩，打理家务等皆可视为贡献。

所以，如果目前所住的房子属于婚姻资产，即使房子只是注册在对方名下，我方还是可以在离婚庭审时依据贡献要求获得一定比例的分配，并不会完全的一无所有。

可以。
如果联络不上对方，可以进行单方面离婚呈请，并向法庭申请替代送达 (SUBSTITUTED SERVICE) 离婚呈请书以完成离婚程序。

不需要。

如果是双方面协议离婚，不必分居两年，只要双方同意就可离婚了。

如果是单方面离婚呈请， 分居两年只是其中一种离婚的理据，还有其他理据可用作单方面离婚呈请 (请参考 FAQ“单方面离婚申请需要什么条件吗？”)，所以不一定需要分居两年后才能离婚。

可以，但必须有充分理由向法庭提出申请，并获得法庭特别允许，方可接下来提出离婚呈请。

可以。
可以作单方面离婚呈请 （请参考FAQ“那我怎么知道我应该要单方面还是双方面协议离婚？”和FAQ“单方面离婚申请需要什么条件吗？”）。

如果有确实的通奸证据，可以在单方面离婚呈请书里把第三者并列为共同答辩人 (CO-RESPONDENT), 索取破坏婚姻的赔偿。 赔偿金额视情况而定，曾有案例赔偿金额高达RM50,000* 甚至更高的赔偿额也会有。
--------------------------------------
*[2009] 4 MLJ 409; “The 2nd respondent had to therefore pay the petitioner RM50,000 in damages to be held in trust by the petitioner for the children until they reached the age of 18 years.”

如果对方不遵从法庭的判决支付赡养费，法庭可在我方提出申请下作出交付羁押令(ORDER OF COMMITTAL) 惩罚对方藐视法庭，对方可因此而坐牢。

也可以视情况选择执行判决（EXECUTION OF JUDGMENT) 的方式。

可以，如果有证据显示外籍新娘/新郎落跑回国了，属于充分理由，可以向法庭提出特别申请，获得法庭允许后，可进行单方面离婚呈请(请参考FAQ“结婚不到两年可以申请离婚吗？”)。

在国外办的离婚不会即刻受大马政府承认。

你可以先向法庭申请以承认你国外的离婚证书(Decree)，然后再向总注册官 (Registrar-General) 登记已经受我国法庭承认的国外离婚证书。 尔后，国家登记局Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN)就会更新婚姻记录。

你可以质询马来西亚的律师, 起草离婚呈请书，并把所有离婚文件通过邮寄的方式让你在国外签名和认证。

你可以在马来西亚的法庭申请离婚。

如果因为个别因素不能申请离婚，如宗教，道德或结婚不满2年等，可以考虑申请司法分居（Judicial Separation）。

司法分居如同一般离婚呈请可以就居屋，孩子抚养权，赡养费，探访孩子等作出安排，只是在国家登记局内还保留夫妻的关系。

在得到法庭颁布的司法分居批准后，如果呈请者觉得有需要，以后还是可以呈请离婚。

当法庭批准离婚呈请时，法庭会先颁布暂时离婚庭令（decree nisi）。3个月后依程序申请成为永久性离婚庭令 (decree absolute)。

只要在永久性离婚庭令颁布前，向法庭申请撤消 (rescind) 暂时离婚庭令，那么双方就可恢复夫妻关系。

如果法庭已经有效地颁布永久性庭令，那么双方只能依程序重新注册婚姻。