You may have heard this a lot. Do you want to file a joint petition or single petition for divorce? Something that a lawyer will ask when you asked for a divorce. But what is a joint petition for divorce under the divorce process in Malaysia?
Joint Petition for Divorce for Non-Muslims
As the name suggests, a joint petition for divorce is akin to filing an application for divorce by both parties jointly in Malaysia for non-Muslims. A divorce lawyer will first assist to get details on the agreed terms between both the husband and wife before preparing the divorce petition. This document is known as a joint petition.
Process of Joint Petition for Divorce in Malaysia
Then, both the husband and wife will proceed to sign the divorce petition (or joint petition) jointly on all the agreed terms. The joint petition for divorce will lay out all the essential terms that parties must come to an agreement on. This includes custody of children, maintenance of children, alimony of spouse, and division of matrimonial assets. Of course, you can add on additional terms relevant to the divorce as long as it is agreed by both parties voluntarily.
Divorce Hearing (Court Hearing)
Subsequently, the signed joint petition for divorce will be filed to the Court in Malaysia and the Court shall fix a hearing date (divorce hearing) where both the husband and wife must attend the divorce hearing together with your divorce lawyer in Malaysia. During the divorce hearing, the Court will review the divorce terms accordingly and shall make necessary amendments, if needed.
In KL & Selangor, there are dedicated Family Courts (Mahkamah Keluarga) that primarily handle divorce and family law related cases for non-Muslims. For other states out of KL & Selangor, divorce and family related cases are handled by the civil courts.
Post Divorce Hearing
If all the divorce terms are agreed voluntarily and the Court is satisfied that the divorce terms are reasonable, the Court shall grant a divorce order (known as decree nisi which is a provisional or temporary order for divorce). This shall be official 3 months later where a divorce certificate will be issued then (known as decree nisi absolute under the law).
To avoid any confusion, here are the terms usually used in the Malaysian Courts for divorce documents since the documents must be in our national language i.e. Bahasa Malaysia:
- Joint Petition: Petisyen Bersama
- Decree Nisi: Dekri Nisi (Provisional/Temporary Divorce Order)
- Certificate of Decree Nisi Made Absolute: Sijil Menjadikan Dekri Nisi Mutlak (Divorce Certificate)
Joint Petition or Single Petition for Divorce in Malaysia
It is worth noting that filing a joint petition for divorce saves time and cost in Malaysia. So, if either one of the parties does not agree to the divorce for any reason, it is advisable to first seek for a divorce settlement in order to save time and cost for a divorce rather than initiating a single petition for divorce directly. You may read here to find out more on the guide for joint & single petition for divorce in Malaysia.
Other than that, a joint petition for divorce does not require parties to provide any reason for divorce (no-fault divorce) and there is no need to attend any marriage counselling as long as the marriage is more than 2 years.
Conclusion
Remember to always seek for a joint petition, if possible, in order to end the marriage peacefully. It is not about winning the other party but achieving a mutual resolution for parties to move forward. Seeking an experienced divorce lawyer in Malaysia is crucial to ensure that the divorce process can be processed smoothly.