Withers KhattarWong LLP

Divorce and family

Partner, Divorce and family

Ivan is a partner and head of the divorce and family team in Singapore.

He is a Family Law specialist with extensive experience in all areas of family law including contentious divorces, disputes over child custody, relocation of children, maintenance, division of matrimonial assets and family violence in the Family Justice Court (FJC) and Court of Appeal.

Ivan has been listed in the Doyle's Guide for Leading Family & Divorce lawyers in Singapore since 2017 and is ranked as a Preeminent lawyer for three consecutive years since 2023. He was previously identified as a Leading lawyer in the same guide for four consecutive years from 2019 to 2022. He has been named by the Singapore Business Review as one of Singapore's Top 20 ‘Most Influential Lawyers aged 40 and under in 2018' and was identified as a Future Star in Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific from 2020 to 2024, before being ranked as a Litigation Star in 2025. Ivan is also recommended for family law in Legal 500 and ranked in Chambers for High Net Worth family and matrimonial matters.

He heads the Singapore family law team which is recognised as a leading family and divorce law firm in Singapore by established legal directories such the Doyles Guide, Benchmark Litigation and Legal 500. In 2024, the family team was awarded Matrimonial and Family Law Firm of the Year at the Asian Legal Business SE Asia Law Awards 2024.

Ivan is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, membership of which is exclusive to family lawyers with extensive experience in international disputes relating to maintenance, division of assets and children's issues. He has represented clients in reported landmark judgments and has advised and acted for clients as lead counsel in matters involving division of matrimonial assets including digital assets for high-net-worth individuals, international relocation and abduction of children as well as Mareva Injunctions to prevent dissipation of matrimonial assets. Ivan also frequently advises and represents clients in the drafting of relevant Prenuptial and Postnuptial Deeds, recognising all too well that in cases where parties have significant pre-marital assets, an agreement as to how such assets are to be divided in the event of a divorce sets the framework for trust and understanding for a successful marriage. His work with founders of start-ups and venture capitals also includes drafting of relevant Prenuptial and Postnuptial Deeds prior to funding rounds or the setting up of new companies.

A firm believer in the benefits of alternative dispute resolution as a means of resolving clients' concerns and matters, Ivan is an accredited Family Mediator on the Singapore Mediation Center's (SMC) Family Panel, a panel of family mediators accredited by the Family Justice Courts and SMC. He frequently represents his clients as a mediation advocate in both the FJC and SMC. Additionally, Ivan has also been appointed as a mediator to mediate family and matrimonial disputes at the SMC. Ivan is also on the Law Society's Panel of Mediators and Neutral Evaluators for the Law Society Mediation and Neutral Evaluation Schemes.

Ivan is also committed to advancing therapeutic approaches in family law. In 2025, he successfully completed the Family Therapeutic Justice Certification Programme by the Singapore Academy of Law, further reinforcing his dedication to holistic and empathetic legal practice.

Ivan is a member of the Law Society of Singapore's Family Law Practice Committee, and has been invited by various organisations both local and international to give talks on family matters. He has also been interviewed on radio and international media on family law, prenuptial agreements as well as in relation to a contested adoption application by single gay father involving surrogacy that eventually succeeded on appeal in a landmark decision.

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Member, Singapore Academy of Law Member, Law Society of Singapore Fellow, International Academy of Family Lawyers. Accredited Family Mediator (Family Panel) and Associate Mediator, Singapore Mediation Centre Associate Mediator, Law Society Mediation Scheme

National University of Singapore LLB, Hons