VWM v VWN

[2023] SGHC(A) 4 High Court (Appellate Division) 31 January 2023 AD/CA 65/2022 11 min read

Cited by 1 case

Key facts

Court	High Court (Appellate Division)
Decided	31 January 2023
Judges	Debbie Ong Siew Ling, Kannan Ramesh, Woo Bih Li
Charges / claim	Family Law
Counsel	Fernandez LLC, Mohamed Arshad Mohamed Tahir, Patrick Fernandez

Source: [2023] SGHC(A) 4, High Court (Appellate Division), decided 31 January 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Family Law — Matrimonial assets — Division

Practice Areas

Family Law

Judges (3)

Debbie Ong Siew Ling Coram Kannan Ramesh Coram Woo Bih Li Delivered

Counsel (3)

Fernandez LLC Firm Mohamed Arshad Mohamed Tahir Counsel Appellant Patrick Fernandez Counsel Appellant

Parties (2)

VWM Appellant VWN Respondent

Case Significance

VWM v VWN [2023] SGHC(A) 4 was an ex tempore judgment of the Appellate Division of the High Court, delivered by Woo Bih Li JAD (with Kannan Ramesh JAD and Debbie Ong Siew Ling JAD) on 31 January 2023 in Civil Appeal No 65 of 2022. The sole matter concerned a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat at Tampines Street 61, which the parties had applied to purchase on 13 July 2017 at a price of $467,130 before divorce proceedings commenced in March 2019; the flat was allocated to them but the purchase was not completed pending the divorce. In the division of matrimonial assets, the wife asked for the husband to transfer his interest to her, but on 31 May 2021 the District Judge declined, reasoning that the flat's value had increased and it would be wrong for the wife to benefit without a corresponding benefit to the husband, ordering the flat returned to the HDB. The wife appealed against those orders on 7 June 2021.

[2023] SGHC(A) 4 explained

VWM v VWN ([2023] SGHC(A) 4) is a Singapore judgment decided by the High Court (Appellate Division) on 31 January 2023. It is categorised under Family Law. Within this corpus it has since been cited by 1 other reported Singapore judgment, a measure of how often later decisions have referred to it. This page summarises what the reported decision covers and links the primary sources — the full judgment, the statutes it cites, and the other cases it engages with — so the decision can be read in context. It is reference information, not legal advice, and it does not state the outcome or any holding beyond what the official judgment records.

What is [2023] SGHC(A) 4 about?

VWM v VWN ([2023] SGHC(A) 4) is a High Court (Appellate Division) decision from 2023. Its published catchwords are “Family Law — Matrimonial assets — Division”, which indicate the subject matter the judgment addresses. The full reasoning and orders are in the judgment itself, linked below.

How influential is [2023] SGHC(A) 4?

Within this corpus, [2023] SGHC(A) 4 has been cited by 1 later reported Singapore judgment. That count reflects references from other decisions held in this corpus only and is a conservative lower bound on how often the case has actually been cited.

Summary

This family appeal concerned the division of matrimonial assets, specifically an HDB flat at Tampines Street 61 that the divorcing parties had applied to purchase but not completed. The lower courts had ordered the flat returned to the HDB, declining the wife's request that the husband transfer his interest to her. The Appellate Division allowed the wife's appeal, ordering the husband to transfer his interest to her, with the wife to reimburse his CPF account for the deposit and related fees with accrued interest, and each party bearing their own costs.

What was in dispute in VWM v VWN [2023] SGHC(A) 4?

The only matter before the Appellate Division was an HDB flat at Tampines Street 61, applied for on 13 July 2017 at $467,130. The District Judge declined to transfer the husband's interest to the wife and ordered the flat returned to the HDB.

Which judges heard the appeal in VWM v VWN ([2023] SGHC(A) 4)?

The Appellate Division of the High Court comprised Woo Bih Li JAD, who delivered the ex tempore judgment, together with Kannan Ramesh JAD and Debbie Ong Siew Ling JAD, on 31 January 2023 in Civil Appeal No 65 of 2022 concerning division of matrimonial assets.