Family, Probate and Trusts
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COVID-19 AND MOVEMENT CONTROL ORDER: DIVORCE IN TIMES OF CRISIS? In light of the recent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) which was declared as a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 11.03.2020, the Government of Malaysia announced the Movement Control Order (MCO) which was effective from 18.03.2020 to 31.03.2020. The MCO was extended until 12.05.2020. The Government had on 04.05.2020 eased the MCO restrictions under a Conditional MCO (CMCO) which would be in place until 09.06.2020 at the time of this article.

The “Stay at Home Order” may be a nightmare for some spouses as it would mean that they can no longer escape from their out-of-work spouse(s) under the same roof.

If absence makes the heart grow fonder then what happens if the spouses are forced to spend time together in a confined space? Would the pandemic in Malaysia outlast the marriages simply because couples spend too much time together? Each spouse may have their familiar list of marital irritants during MCO such as finance management, too much screen time, uneven distribution of house chores and child care. These reasons combined have been more than enough reasons for a divorce. This trend was observed in China when the COVID-19 started spreading and spouses had to spend almost two months in isolation with their spouses. In China, the divorce cases saw a marked increase leading to massive backlogs at government offices as clerks struggled to keep up with the processing of tons of cases in a single day. It is reported in the Hunan province that one of the clerks commented that “staff members didn’t even have time to drink water” due to the long queue of divorce cases after the COVID-19 outbreak.[1] Reasons given range from trivial matters, incompatibilities and domestic violence.[2]

“Infidelity used to be the No. 1 reason clients showed up” said a Shanghai divorce lawyer who experienced an increase of 25% of divorce cases after the city’s lockdown.[3] Even when the pandemic subsided and people slowly began to return to normalcy, the psychological and economic stress may continue to exist for months as a post COVID-19 effect. During the surge of 2002 - 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) pandemic in Hong Kong, a report[4] has found that divorce in Hong Kong in 2004 was 21% higher than in 2002.[5]

In Singapore, the Circuit Breaker implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19 seems to have affected spouses. A young Singaporean wife ended the marriage after her husband refused to use her scissors to unbox a parcel. A source of argument which seemed to be far-fetched is now becoming a reality during trying times like this.[6]

In Malaysia, registration of marriages as well as filing of divorce have been put on hold during the MCO.[7] Churches and temples were also not allowed to hold wedding ceremonies. This would undoubtedly mean that couples would have more time to contemplate whether to start or to end their marriage.

Joint Petition – A palatable Option for amicable separation Unlike a single petition (contested divorce) where parties are required to attend trial to seek for directions regarding to the custody of children and maintenance of spouses, a divorce by way of an uncontested joint petition is provided for in Section 52 of the Law Reform (Marriage & Divorce) Act 1976 where both parties mutually agree to the divorce and the terms such as maintenance, assets, child custody and guardianship. The terms agreed by spouses will be clearly stated in the joint petition which will be filed in the state court where the marriage took place.

It is imperative to note that divorce by way of joint petition is only applicable to non-Muslims in Malaysia who have been married for at least 2 years at the time the petition is filed[8]. In such a case, parties are not obligated to attend marriage counselling at the National Registration Department.

The petition would include important “agreements” reached by spouses regarding the marriage which includes (but is not limited to) the custody of any children, distribution/severance of properties and alimony. A joint petition is easier to conduct as both husband and wife have reached consensus as to the terms and conditions of divorce and only one hearing is required to obtain the decree for divorce. The marriage will be formally dissolved after the three (3) months cooling period from the date of the decree whereby the decree nisi will be made absolute[9]. As such, no spouses are allowed to remarry before the completion of the said cooling off period.

We note that some spouses may not be inclined to proceed with the process of divorce due to their concerns on the legal fees, duration/time taken to complete the divorce process or simply due to the reason that they do not have the time to be present at court. As a matter of fact, the process for a joint petition for divorce saves the divorcees’ time by choosing to come to an agreement together before going to Court and contrary to popular belief, the cost of the same is generally affordable as compared to filing of a single petition.

For the purposes of divorce by way of a joint petition, spouses may only need to attend court once on the hearing date where the High Court judge will read out the terms of the joint petition filed by the parties.

What happens after that? The High Court judge will then grant the orders prayed for in the joint petition. The matter does not just end there and as stated above, the parties will only be made formally divorced after 3 months from the date of the pronouncement by the Judge. The entire process should take less than 6 months to complete.

Frankly speaking, the cost of a divorce may only be just a small fraction of the cost and expenses spent in holding a wedding ceremony. We would highly advise spouses to consult a legal practitioner and obtain legal advice.

Would China’s increase in divorce cases post COVID-19 lockdown be a trend that will happen in Malaysia as well? This remains to be seen in the CMCO period.

To understand more on the process, kindly contact the undersigned.

Authors
Idza Hajar Ahmad Idzam & Lee Sheen Yee

Idza Hajar Ahmad Idzam is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Practice Group. She often renders opinion and handles matters pertaining to family, probate and trusts.

Sheen Yee is a legal associate in the Dispute Resolution Practice Group. She primarily handles disputes involving family, probate and trusts.

Disclaimer: The contents do not constitute legal advice, are not intended to be a substitute for legal advice and should not be relied upon as such.

Zul Rafique & Partners
22 May 2020

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[1] Prasso, Sheridan. “China’s Divorce Spike Is a Warning to Rest of Locked-Down World.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, March 31, 2020.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-31/divorces-spike-in-china-after-coronavirus-quarantines

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Antoinette, ML, Josephine, Wong, Grainne, MM, Vinci C, Charlton C, Pak CS, Chu MC, Wong PC, Kenneth WT, Chua SE. (2007). ‘Original Research – Stress and Psychological Distress Among SARS Survivors 1 Year After the Outbreak’, pp.223 – 240.

[5] Smith, Megan. “Family Law: Divorce Rates Skyrocket in China During Coronavirus Lockdown.” Offit Kurman, May 8, 2020.
https://www.offitkurman.com/blog/2020/05/08/divorce-rates-skyrocket-in-china-during-coronavirus-lockdown-will-the-trend-also-occur-in-the-united-states/

[6] Desperate times! CB Extended Till June? (2020) YouTube video, added by Ryan Sylvia [Online].. Available at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZMsLGKDv14 [Accessed 22 April 2020]

[7] National Registration Department, “Soalan Lazim Berkaitan Urusniaga Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara Sewaktu Tempoh Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP)”, March 18, 2020.
https://www.pmo.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/18-MAC-2020-FAQ-JABATAN-PENDAFTARAN-NEGARA.pdf

[8] Section 52 of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976

[9] Section 61 of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976

Personal Data Protection Notice

We at ZUL RAFIQUE & partners recognize the importance of privacy and the sensitivity of personal information. As required under the Personal Data Protection Act 2010, the purpose of this Personal Data Protection Notice (“Notice”) is to inform you how we collect and process your personal data when you appoint or engage us to provide services, when you access and use our website or interact with us including through meetings, seminars, conferences or events.

By appointing or engaging us to provide services to you, by accessing and using our website or by interacting with us, you consent to us using, collecting and processing your personal data in the manner contemplated in this Notice.

This Notice may be amended or updated from time to time. We would advise you to check this Notice on our website from time to time for amendments or updates. By continuing to use or engage our services, to use our website or to communicate with us subsequent to any amendments or updates to this Notice, it would confirm and indicate your acceptance to the amendments or updates to this Notice.

What Personal Data Do We Collect?

Personal data generally means any information that identifies you. Your personal data is collected and processed by us at the start of our services or interaction and, from time to time, in the course of our engagement or interaction.

The type of personal data collected and processed by us includes:

name, date of birth, nationality, gender, NRIC / passport number, residency status, correspondence address, contact details including mobile, office and residential telephone number and facsimile number, e-mail address, banking details, financial / creditworthiness information;
employment category (private sector, government sector, self-employed, non-working or others), name of employer and office address, details of relationship with the company (e.g. promoter, director, shareholder);
such other information relevant or required for:
- our legal engagement;
- provision of legal services for the purposes of the legal engagement or legal transaction; and
- compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; and
any additional information provided by you or third parties about you.

Source of Personal Data

Personal data collected will mainly be from you. However, some personal data may also be collected by us from other available sources including but not limited to credit reporting agencies, government department or agencies, public registries, websites, social media, publications, events, seminars, conferences.

How Do We Use Your Personal Data

Your personal data is collected and processed by us for our business activities including the following purposes:

to verify your identity;
to communicate with you including responding to your enquiries;
all purposes related to or in connection with our legal engagement;
to provide legal services for the purposes of the legal engagement or transaction;
to comply with legal and/or regulatory requirements including court orders;
for our day to day operations and administrative purposes including file management, billing and collection, audits, reporting, investigations etc.;
for the purposes of enforcing or defending our legal rights and/or obtaining legal advice;
to send you materials or publications including newsletter, articles or updates or information about events, conferences, seminars, talks which may be of interest to you;
to promote, offer or market our services to you;
to send as potential referees to (i) editors/researches in ranking legal publication and journals and/or (ii) clients/potential clients who request for referees of past work in relation to any proposal, submissions, tenders or bids;
to assist in the prevention, detection or investigation of crime or possible criminal activities or for the administration of justice;
for security and internal audit purposes;
for such other purposes as may be directed or consented to by you; and
for all other purposes in relation to or incidental to the above.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Under certain circumstances, we may be required to disclose your personal data to third parties. Third parties to whom your personal data may be disclosed by us are as follows:

any persons directed by or consented to by you;
any persons required for the purposes of the legal engagements and/or legal transactions including but not limited to counter parties, other advisors, financial institutions, regulatory bodies etc;
any person for the purposes of compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;
our data processors i.e. third party who we engage to process personal data on our behalf including but not limited to archival storage, data entry service providers, computer backup services, disaster recovery services, banks and financial institutions etc.; and
our professional advisors including but not limited to legal advisors, tax advisors, financial advisors, auditors, insurance brokers etc.

Further, we may also be required to transfer your personal data outside of Malaysia for the purposes and to such third parties stated in this Notice. The transfer of your personal data outside Malaysia would also be required if you are travelling, residing or based outside Malaysia.

Obligation to Provide Personal Data

We acknowledge that you have the right in deciding the information you wish to provide to us. The provision of the information listed above is voluntary in nature. However, please note that if you do not provide the information above or limit the way such information is to be processed, it may result in us not being able to:

communicate or correspond with you;
undertake the legal engagement or transaction and/or to provide our services to you; and/or
grant you access to our website.

Data Access and Data Correction

If you wish to request:

for access to your personal information;
for your personal data to be corrected or updated; or
to withdraw your consent or limit the use of your personal data;

please submit your written request to:

Assistant Manager Human Resources and Administration Department

Zul Rafique & Partners
D3-3-8 Solaris Dutamas
No.1 Jalan Dutamas 1
50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Telephone : 03-6209 8228
Facsimile : 03-6209 8331

An administrative charge may be imposed for any request under paragraph (a) and (b) above.

Further, we reserve the right to refuse your requests for any reasons permitted under law.

Disclaimer

The accuracy and completeness of your personal data depends on the information you provide. We assume that the information you have provided is accurate, up to date and complete unless you inform us otherwise.

Where you provide any third party information to us including but not limited to employer, colleagues, family information, it is our assumption that such information is accurate, up to date and complete and that you have obtained the necessary consent to disclose the same.

Conflict

In the event that there is any conflict between the English and national language version of this Notice, the English language version shall prevail.

Notis Perlindungan Data Peribadi

Kami di ZUL RAFIQUE & partners menghormati kepentingan privasi dan sensitiviti data peribadi anda. Sebagaimana yang dikehendaki di bawah Akta Perlindungan Data Peribadi 2010, Notis Perlindungan Data Peribadi ini (“Notis”) bertujuan untuk memaklumkan kepada anda bagaimana kami mengumpul dan memproses data peribadi anda apabila anda melantik pihak kami untuk memberikan perkhidmatan. Bukan itu sahaja, Notis ini turut bertujuan untuk memaklumkan kepada anda bagaimana kami memproses data peribadi anda apabila anda mengakses dan menggunakan laman sesawang kami atau berhubung dengan kami melalui mesyuarat, seminar, ataupun persidangan.

Dengan melantik kami untuk memberikan perkhidmatan kami kepada anda dan juga dengan mengakses dan menggunakan laman sesawang atau berinteraksi dengan kami, anda dengan ini telah bersetuju dengan penggunaan, pengumpulan dan pemprosesan data peribadi anda oleh pihak kami mengikut cara yang dinyatakan dalam Notis ini.

Notis ini akan tertakluk kepada pindaan dan pengemaskinian dari masa ke semasa. Oleh itu, adalah disarankan supaya pihak anda menyemak Notis ini di laman sesawang kami dari masa ke semasa untuk memastikan sebarang pindaan atau pengemaskinian yang dilakukan adalah dalam pengetahuan anda. Dengan meneruskan perlantikan dan penggunaan khidmat kami selepas apa-apa pindaan atau pengemaskinian yang dilakukan terhadap Notis ini, ia secara langsung menandakan penerimaan anda terhadap pindaan atau pengemaskinian yang dilakukan terhadap Notis ini.

Apakah Data Peribadi Yang Kami Kumpul?

Data peribadi secara amnya bermaksud apa-apa maklumat yang berkaitan dengan pengenalan diri anda. Tanggungjawab kami terhadap anda memerlukan kami mengumpul dan memproses data peribadi anda. Pemprosesan dan pengumpulan data peribadi anda bermula dari awal perkhidmatan kami bersama anda termasuklah sebarang interaksi diantara pihak kami dan anda, selepas itu, dari semasa ke semasa sepanjang tempoh pengambilan atau penggunaan khidmat kami.

Jenis data peribadi yang dikumpul dan diproses oleh kami adalah:

nama, tarikh lahir, kewarganegaraan, jantina, nombor kad pengenalan/passport, status kependudukan, alamat surat-menyurat, butiran perhubungan termasuk nombor telefon bimbit, pejabat dan kediaman dan faksimili, alamat email, butiran perbankan, maklumat kewangan / kepercayaan kredit;
kategori pekerjaan (sektor awam, kerajaan, bekerja sendiri, tidak bekerja atau lain-lain), nama majikan dan alamat pejabat, butiran hubungan dengan syarikat (sebagai contoh promoter, pengarah, pemegang saham);
maklumat-maklumat lain yang relevan dan perlu untuk:
- melantik kami untuk memberi khidmat guaman
- memberi khidmat guaman; dan
- menepati keperluan undang-undang dan pengawalseliaan.
apa-apa maklumat tambahan yang diberikan oleh anda atau pihak-pihak ketiga berkenaan dengan anda.

Sumber Data Peribadi

Kebanyakan data peribadi yang dikumpul oleh kami adalah data peribadi yang dikemukakan kepada kami oleh anda. Walaubagaimanapun, data peribadi anda juga boleh dikumpul oleh kami dari sumber-sumber yang lain termasuk tetapi tidak terhad kepada agensi pelaporan kredit, agensi atau jabatan kerajaan, pendaftaran awam, laman sesawang, media sosial, penerbitan, seminar, dan persidangan.

Bagaimana Kami Menggunakan Maklumat Peribadi Anda

Sebagai sebuah firma guaman, kami mengumpul dan memproses data peribadi anda untuk tujuan berikut:

pengesahan identiti anda;
berkomunikasi dengan anda termasuk memberikan maklum balas terhadap pertanyaan anda;
semua tujuan berkaitan dengan perlantikan kami;
untuk memberikan khidmat guaman;
untuk mematuhi keperluan undang-undang dan pengawalseliaan termasuklah perintah mahkamah;
bagi operasi harian kami dan tujuan pentadbiran termasuklah pengurusan fail, bil dan kutipan, audit, laporan, penyiasatan dsb.;
bagi tujuan menguatkuasakan dan mempertahankan hak-hak perundangan kami dan/atau mendapatkan nasihat perundangan;
menghantar bahan-bahan atau penerbitan termasuklah surat berita, artikel- artikel atau maklumat berkenaan majlis-majlis, persidangan-persidangan, seminar-seminar dan ceramah-ceramah yang mungkin menarik minat anda;
untuk mempromosi, menawar atau mengiklan perkhidmatan kami kepada anda;
untuk dihantar sebagai sumber rujukan berpotensi kepada (i) editor-editor / penyelidik-penyelidik di dalam penerbitan dan jurnal-jurnal dan/atau (ii) klien-klien / klien-klien berpotensi yang memohon rujukan kerja-kerja terdahulu berkaitan apa-apa cadangan, penghujahan, tawaran atau bidaan;
untuk membantu pencegahan, pengesanan atau penyiasatan jenayah atau kemungkinan aktiviti-aktiviti jenayah atau bagi pentadbiran keadilan;
tujuan audit dalaman dan keselamatan;
bagi tujuan lain sebagaimana yang diarahkan atau yang telah diberikan persetujuan oleh anda; dan
bagi segala tujuan lain berkaitan atau bersampingan dengan perkara-perkara di atas.

Penzahiran Maklumat Peribadi Anda

Di bawah keadaan-keadaan tertentu, kami boleh menzahirkan data peribadi anda kepada pihak ketiga seperti berikut:

mana-mana orang yang diarahkan oleh atau yang telah dipersetujui oleh anda;
mana-mana orang yang berkenaan bagi tujuan-tujuan perlantikan khidmat undang-undang dan/atau transaksi undang-undang termasuk tetapi tidak terhad kepada pihak lawan, perunding-perunding lain, institusi-institusi kewangan, badan-badan pengawalseliaan dsb;
mana-mana orang bagi tujuan pematuhan undang-undang dan pengawalseliaan;
Pihak pemproses data iaitu pihak ketiga yang akan berkhidmat bagi memproses data peribadi bagi pihak kami termasuk tetapi tidak terhad kepada storan arkib, pemberi khidmat kemasukan data, perkhidmatan-perkhidmatan sokongan komputer, perkhidmatan-perkhidmatan pemulihan bencana, bank-bank dan institusi-institusi kewangan dsb; dan
penasihat-penasihat profesional kami, termasuk tetapi tidak terhad kepada penasihat undang-undang, penasihat-penasihat cukai, penasihat-penasihat kewangan, juruaudit-juruaudit, broker-broker insurans dsb.

Kami juga boleh memindah data peribadi anda keluar dari Malaysia bagi tujuan-tujuan dan kepada pihak ketiga yang dinyatakan dalam Notis ini. Data peribadi anda juga akan dipindah keluar dari Malaysia jika anda berada di luar Malaysia.

Kewajipan untuk Memberi Data Peribadi

Kami mengakui bahawa anda mempunyai hak untuk menentukan maklumat yang diberikan kepada kami. Maklumat yang disenaraikan di atas adalah secara sukarela. Jika anda tidak memberi maklumat di atas atau mengehadkan cara bagaimana maklumat tersebut diproses, kami tidak dapat:

berkomunikasi atau berhubung dengan anda;
bertindak di dalam perlantikan atau transaksi undang-undang dan/atau memberi perkhidmatan kami kepada anda; dan atau
memberikan anda akses kepada laman sesawang kami.

Akses dan Pembetulan Data

Jika anda ingin:

mengakses maklumat peribadi anda;
memperbetulkan atau mengemaskini data peribadi anda; atau
menarikbalik persetujuan anda atau mengehadkan penggunaan data peribadi anda,

sila hantar permintaan bertulis anda kepada:

Penolong Pengurus Jabatan Sumber Manusia dan Pentadbiran

Zul Rafique & Partners
D3-3-8 Solaris Dutamas
No.1 Jalan Dutamas 1
50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Telefon : 03-6209 8228
Faksimile : 03-6209 8331

Caj pentadbiran akan dikenakan bagi permintaan di bawah perenggan (a), (b) dan (c) di atas.

Kami berhak untuk menolak permintaan anda jika dibenarkan di bawah undang-undang.

Penafian

Ketepatan dan kelengkapan data peribadi anda bergantung kepada maklumat yang anda berikan. Kami menganggap bahawa maklumat yang anda berikan adalah tepat, terkini dan lengkap melainkan jika anda memaklumkan sebaliknya kepada kami.

Kami menganggap bahawa maklumat pihak ketiga yang anda berikan kepada kami termasuk tetapi tidak terhad kepada maklumat majikan, maklumat rakan-rakan sekerja atau maklumat keluarga adalah tepat, terkini dan lengkap dan anda telah mendapatkan persetujuan yang sewajarnya untuk menzahirkan maklumat tersebut.

Percanggahan

Jika terdapat percanggahan diantara versi Bahasa Inggeris dan Bahasa Kebangsaan pada Notis ini, versi Bahasa Inggeris akan diguna pakai.

COVID-19 and Movement Control Order: Divorce in Times of Crisis