Is it Possible to Get a Divorce Within a Month in Malaysia?
Duration of Divorce in Malaysia for Non-Muslims
Many assume that getting a divorce will be a lengthy and messy affair in Malaysia.
At least that’s what they are being told when their close friends or family members are getting a divorce.
This can be true especially if the divorce is complicated involving children and matrimonial assets where both parties cannot come to an agreement on any divorce terms. This will usually take months or years depending on the complexity of the dispute. That is why you see news about divorce cases involving high net worth individuals will take years to finalise in the family court in Malaysia.
In the event if there is no agreement on any divorce terms, one must first register or attend the marriage counselling with the JPN first before either party can file a single petition for divorce in Malaysia.
Generally speaking, a joint petition for divorce will take between 3-6 months to complete. On the other hand, a single petition for divorce will take between 6-12 months or more if the divorce is complicated and contentious.
Quick Divorce in Malaysia: Is it Possible?
Now, back to the question.
Is it possible to get a divorce within a month in Malaysia?
The quick answer to this is question is: Yes, it is possible if it is a joint petition for divorce.
How To Get a Fast Divorce in Malaysia
It is possible for parties to get a divorce within a month in Malaysia if parties can come to an agreement on all divorce terms including terms on the amount of maintenance, custody of children (if any) and division of matrimonial assets (if any) before engaging a divorce lawyer in Malaysia.
If parties are able to come to an agreement on all the said divorce terms, preparation of divorce papers will usually take less than 2 weeks. Then they may proceed to sign the divorce papers and file the divorce papers to the Court accordingly where the Court will fix for a hearing date.
A hearing date is basically a date where parties are required to appear in the Court together with your divorce lawyer to present the divorce petition before the Court in order to get approval from the Court.
Do take note that although it is possible to prepare and sign the divorce papers within 1-2 weeks, the date of court hearing is solely decided by the Court depending on the discretion of the Court.
Parties are able to get an earlier date of hearing if the Court is less busy and may get date of hearing as early as 1 week after filing the divorce papers.
Conclusion
If you need to get a quick and fast divorce in Malaysia, it is best to speak to your divorce lawyer to understand the divorce process and timeline better.
It is also important to note that seeking a mutually agreed divorce is a better and less costly option compared to a contentious divorce. Therefore, it is highly advisable to always mediate and/or negotiate first on the divorce terms to save both time and money.
