Thian Wen Yi

Wen Yi is a Partner in the Family and Divorce Practice Group. She has led many disputes over custody, maintenance, and division of assets, and advised on cross-border issues like relocation and international child abduction. She also helps clients with out-of-court settlements and non-contentious matters such as postnuptial agreements and wills.

Wen Yi is a member of the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers and volunteers at legal clinics. She gives talks on divorce and maintenance issues and participates in law reform consultations. She was invited by the Ministry of Law to discuss family justice system reforms and is part of the Family Law and Children’s Rights Working Group of the Singapore Academy of Law.

• Acted for the child's guardian in a case before the High Court, where the child’s natural mother sought to change the child’s name whilst the child’s guardian opposed it. The Court held in favour of the child's guardian, setting aside the Deed Poll executed by the mother. In the course of the judgment, the Court clarified certain principles on the interplay between the rights of a parent and the rights of a guardian, and whether it was in the best interests of the child to change her name. The case was reported as UPD v UPC [2019] SGHCF 25.
• Acted as lead counsel for the father in an extremely contentious care & control dispute before the Family Court & High Court where the child’s mother sought sole care & control of the child on the basis that the child had been living with her for the past 12 months, and the child herself indicated her wish to live with her mother. The Court found that the child’s wishes could not be determinative of the Court’s decision as to what would be in her best interests and ordered parties to have shared care & control. The case was reported as VWG v VWH [2021] SGFC 104 at first instance. The mother's High Court appeal was dismissed.
• Acted as lead counsel for the wife in a 3-day Personal Protection Order (“PPO”) trial. At the conclusion of trial, the Court granted the wife a PPO against the husband, finding that his written communications with her, which contained vulgarities or demeaning language directed at her, constituted family violence. The case was reported as WDR v WDQ [2022] SGFC 46. The husband's High Court appeal was dismissed.
• Acted as lead counsel for the father in a fraught care & control dispute where both parties were seeking sole care & control of the child. The Court awarded the father care & control despite the mother having been a homemaker during the marriage, due to findings of alienation and lack of co-parenting by the mother. The case was reported as XDH v XDI [2024] SGFC 80. The mother's High Court appeal was dismissed.