Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements: Are They Necessary? Many couples wonder whether they should set out, in writing, what will happen to their property, finances, and family arrangements if their marriage ever breaks down. Some sign such an agreement before the wedding; others do so after they are already married. A natural question follows: are these…
当一段婚姻走到尽头，其中一方往往需要经济上的支持，才能重新开始生活；同时，孩子的生活和教育也仍然需要被妥善照顾。在马来西亚，关于谁需要支付、应支付多少以及应支付多久，法律原则已经相对明确。本文将以简单易懂的方式，说明非穆斯林离婚案件中的 maintenance（生活费／抚养费）如何运作，以及法院在实际案件中如何适用相关法律。 法律怎么规定？ 离婚中的 maintenance 主要受《Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976》（“LRA”）管辖。其中，两个条文是核心。 Section 77 赋予法院权力，命令丈夫在离婚程序期间或离婚之后，向妻子或前妻支付 maintenance。相反方向的命令则只适用于较狭窄的情况：若丈夫因受伤或健康问题而无法维持自己的生活，法院才可命令妻子支付 maintenance 给丈夫。实践中，maintenance 最常见的情况仍然是由丈夫支付给妻子。 Section 78 则说明法院如何决定金额。法院主要会考虑双方的“means and needs”，也就是支付方的经济能力，以及收款方的实际需要。同时，法院也会考虑双方各自在婚姻破裂中所承担的责任。因此，这不是一个机械式的计算公式，而是一个根据个案事实灵活判断的过程。 至于孩子，则属于另一个独立的问题。父母都有法律责任维持子女的生活和教育需要。这项责任并不会因为孩子满 18 岁就自动终止。如果孩子仍在接受进一步教育或高等教育，例如大学教育，父母的抚养义务可能会持续到该教育阶段完成为止，包括学费在内。 法院如何处理 maintenance 申请？ 在决定 maintenance 时，法院通常会参考几个实际原则。 “Means and needs”，不是“means and wants” 法院保障的是合理生活水平，而不是满足一方的愿望清单。申请 maintenance 的一方不能只是列出所有自己想要承担的开销；关键在于这些开销是否是真正合理和必要的。如果申请金额中包含过多奢侈或不合理项目，法院通常会将其削减至现实合理的水平。 不过，法律也会尽可能让前配偶在离婚后维持与婚姻期间大致相近的生活水平。但法院也承认，一旦一个家庭分成两个独立生活单位，完全复制过去的生活方式通常并不现实。 支付方真实的经济能力 maintenance 的金额必须根据支付方实际能够负担的能力来决定。当支付方隐瞒收入或资产时，问题就会变得复杂。对此，法律有一个有力的回应：如果丈夫拒绝完整、诚实地披露自己的财务状况，法院可以对其作出不利推断，即假设他正在隐瞒可用于支付 maintenance 的 substantial wealth。 换言之，在金钱问题上不诚实，往往不会减少他需要支付的金额，反而可能导致法院作出更高的 maintenance 命令。 当地生活成本 maintenance 的金额也会根据收款方实际居住地的生活成本来评估。如果一个居住在马来西亚的人以外币提出高额生活费申请，法院仍会根据马来西亚本地的生活成本重新评估该金额是否合理。…
When a marriage breaks down, one spouse often needs financial support to move on, and the children still need to be provided for. The law that decides who pays, how much, and for how long is well settled in Malaysia. This article explains, in plain terms, how maintenance works in a non-Muslim divorce and how…
The comic art industry brings together a wide range of creators, including comic and manga artists, illustrators, cover artists, concept artists, webtoon creators, animators, designers and studios. Many creators sell original characters and merchandise, take commissions, publish serialized works and license their creations into animation, trading cards, translations and other commercial formats. Behind all of…
Introduction In strata and mixed-use developments, disputes often arise over when a management corporation can lawfully impose differential charges. While the Strata Management Act 2013 allows MCs to levy fees at different rates, courts stress that this power must be statutory, reasonable, and proportionate to the benefit from common facilities. Differential charges are generally upheld…
Picture this: Your friend contacts you. He says he has a side business but his bank account has a transaction limit issue. He just needs to use your account for a few weeks to receive some payments. He’ll transfer your cut once the money comes in. Easy. Fast. No paperwork. No questions asked. Or maybe…
Executive Summary Malaysia’s long-anticipated Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) remains in draft form as of May 2026. Despite repeated announcements since 2020, the Bill has not yet been tabled in Parliament. However, public demand for clearer rental protections, standardised agreements, and a dedicated dispute resolution mechanism continues to grow. This article provides a deep dive into:…
From Script to Screen A Practical Guide for Malaysian Film Industry Stakeholders Introduction The Malaysian film industry has grown considerably over the past decade, with productions spanning local theatrical releases, streaming platforms and international co-productions. Yet amid the excitement of creative endeavours, one critical element is often underestimated: the contract. This article walks through the…
When a marriage ends, one of the most disputed issues is often not whether there should be a divorce, but how the parties’ assets should be divided. In Malaysia, that question is governed principally by section 76 of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976. In the recent legal trend, the court does not…
How the upcoming reforms, new laws, and digitalisation will transform the way Malaysians buy, sell, rent, and manage property. Malaysia is entering one of the most transformative periods in its property sector in decades. A wave of new laws, digital systems, and policy reforms is reshaping how homes are built, sold, financed, managed, and rented….
