Shawn Teo is a Partner in the firm’s Private Wealth Practice.
Shawn has extensive experience in all aspects of family law litigation, including:
- disputes over child custody, division of matrimonial assets, maintenance and family violence applications;
- International Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abduction applications;
- contested and uncontested Mental Capacity Act applications; and
- contested and uncontested probate, trusts, and succession disputes.
Shawn was named as a Family Law Rising Star in the Doyle’s Guide’s in 2023 and 2024. He is fluent in the Chinese language.
Shawn is also an Assigned Solicitor with the Legal Aid Bureau, and he received the LAB NOVO Award for his contributions to the Legal Aid Scheme. He regularly volunteers at legal clinics, where he gives free legal advice to the community.
EXPERIENCE
Divorce and Ancillary Matters
- Successfully represented a high net-worth individual in reversing an order of interim maintenance on account of the other spouse’s unilateral withdrawal of substantial funds from the parties’ joint accounts (VXM v VXN [2021] SGHCF 37)
- Successfully represented a high net-worth individual in reversing an order of Mareva Injunction of USD 50 million and obtaining costs orders on an indemnity basis of over $160,000 (unreported decision, 2025)
- Successfully represented a high net-worth individual in defending a Mareva Injunction of SGD 30 million (unreported decision, 2025)
- Represented an individual in an application for an ex parte Mareva injunction in support of foreign divorce proceedings in China to prevent further dissipation of assets of SGD 19 million.
- Represented a high net-worth individual in a highly contentious child dispute between unmarried parents. The matter involved cross- border issues such as child abduction under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of Child Abduction, relocation, and law on adducing further evidence.
- Successfully acted for a spouse in an appeal, where the Court set out the principles relating to its judge-led powers and affirmed directions for ancillary matters hearing to proceed with further interlocutory applications (WWK v WWL [2025] SGFC 118)
Mental Capacity Act
- Successfully represented a 95-year-old person in Mental Capacity Act proceedings where she was alleged to have lacked mental capacity
- Successfully represented donees appointed under a Lasting Power of Attorney in an application under section 19 of the Mental Capacity Act for a declaration of the lawfulness and unlawfulness of their decisions (WBK v WBL and another [2022] SGFC 26).
Selected Reported Decisions
- Acted for an individual in a variation of care and control order concerning the child’s holiday and festive arrangements (VDX v VDY [2019] SGFC 144)
- Acted for an individual in the division of matrimonial assets following a 16-year marriage, involving cross-border elements and substantial asset pool (VMO v VMP [2020] SGHCF 23)
- Acted for an individual in multiple proceedings, including appeal on interim maintenance, contested care and control application, and ancillary matters on division of matrimonial assets and maintenance (VXM v VXN [2021] SGHCF 37; [2021] SGHCF 42; [2023] SGHCF 39)
- Acted for an individual in family proceedings involving custody and care arrangements for children (WBK v WBL and another [2022] SGFC 26)
- Acted for an individual in ancillary matters on division of matrimonial assets and maintenance, securing sole care and control for client, and in appeal addressing commingling of pre-marital and marital assets and indirect contributions (WQQ v WQP [2023] SGHCF 49; [2024] SGHC(A) 34)
- Acted for an individual in protracted divorce proceedings, addressing judicial case management and therapeutic justice principles (WWK v WWL [2025] SGFC 118)
MEMBERSHIPS / DIRECTORSHIPS
- Member, Law Society of Singapore Family Law Practice Committee (2024, 2025)
PUBLICATIONS
- Co-author, “Child Relocation 2025” (Chambers Global Practice Guides, 2025)
