Rights of father on illegitimate child
 

Helping a friend. How to go about getting the below for the father for an illegitimate child (child born and parents are not married to each other) ? Can go through Family Court without seeing a lawyer ?

1. custody
2. care and control
3. access to the child

Problem is now the mother is making it difficult for the father to see the child. The father does pay maintenance (cause mother went to the Family Court) but nothing has been ruled on custody, care and control and access.

Child's birth cert has both the father's and mother's name.

The mother, a Singapore PR, is now requesting the father to apply for long-term pass / PR for the child to stay in Singapore.

The father is willing to do that if he has care and control of the child. Apart from wanting to be with his child, stating his name as sponsor would result in the mother in asking much more in maintenance as the child is in childcare.

Currently, father is happliy married with another child but mother is estranged from her hausband, and apprently renting a room or staying with new boyfriend (unverified). She has other children with her previous husband.

Father just wants the child back or be given access to the child. Mother is making it difficult and probably has not intention to allow the father to see the child.

Mother may not be able to extend the child's passport to stay in Singapore.

Please provide your 2 cents worth. If you can recommend a reasonably priced lawyer, kindly pm or post here. Wonder how much does it costs?

Re: Rights of father on illegitimate child
 

Dun get your history...

you said that the father is happily married but the mother is estranged from the child... which child and which mother are you talking about?

are u saying that this...

Father is happily married with his own child. The illegitimate child's mother is a married woman who is estranged from her husband and living with another man.

From what I gather, things with this woman seem complicated, how sure is your friend that the child is his? At any rate, you mentioned that Family Court has not settled the issue of custody yet, then the solution seems simple, get the Court to settle the issue. If he is given some custody, the child's migration problems would be simple to solve.

on a side note, why is the mother not able to extend the child's stay here? makes little sense as the mother is a PR and the father is citizen....

Re: Rights of father on illegitimate child
 

My friend was not married when he had the child with the woman. She took off with the child after a quarrel one day. And he subsequently got married. After that, there was no news for about 2 years before he received a letter from the Family Court for maintenance hearing.

Now, another 2 years later, child is in Singapore. Apparently, ICA says to apply for long-term pass / PR for the child, it needs a sponsor, and the mother's income is insufficient. So, the mother contacted the father for his signature.

Father has concerns that if he sponsors, it will be a ticket for the mother to skyrocket the maintenance. And of course he wants to see his child and bring in his home, if possible. It is not likely that the mother will agree to allowing the child to stay with the father as she has been taking care of the child. But at least the father wants to have access to the child (don't forget he's also paying maintenance).

That's why the question is whether can go to Family Court to obtain access without lawyer?

Re: Rights of father on illegitimate child
 

how are you going to argue the law, in the family court without lawyer?

Re: Rights of father on illegitimate child
 

Sounds like a detailed description of how some humans are behaving worse than dogs. :rolleyes: