About FamilyLawMY

Our Mission

FamilyLawMY is an independent, comprehensive, and free resource dedicated to helping Malaysians understand their rights and options in family law matters. We believe everyone deserves access to clear, accurate legal information — regardless of background, income, or location.

With roughly 60,000 divorces filed in Malaysia each year and over 80,000 family law matters across both the civil and Syariah systems, there is a significant gap between the legal help people need and the information available to them. FamilyLawMY exists to bridge that gap.

What We Cover

Our guides span both the civil and Syariah legal systems across all 14 states and federal territories of Malaysia. We cover:

  • Divorce proceedings — both civil (Law Reform Act 1976) and Syariah (state enactments)
  • Child custody (hadhanah), guardianship, and access rights
  • Financial rights including nafkah (maintenance), harta sepencarian (matrimonial property), and mut'ah
  • Domestic violence protections under the Domestic Violence Act 1994
  • Adoption — civil adoption and kafalah
  • Expat and cross-border family law issues
  • Free and low-cost legal aid programs
  • A directory of 605+ family law firms across Malaysia

Who We Are

FamilyLawMY is produced by a team of legal researchers, writers, and data analysts with experience in Malaysian legal publishing. Our editorial team includes:

  • Legal researchers with knowledge of Malaysian civil and Syariah family law legislation, court procedures, and case law
  • Content editors who ensure every guide is accurate, clearly written, and accessible to a non-legal audience
  • Data analysts who maintain our lawyer directory, scoring engine, and industry data

FamilyLawMY is not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice or representation. We are an independent publisher committed to transparency and accuracy in legal information.

Our Editorial Process

Every article published on FamilyLawMY goes through a rigorous multi-step editorial process to ensure accuracy and reliability:

1. Research

Every guide is grounded in primary legal sources — Malaysian statutes, gazetted enactments, published court judgments, and official government resources (JKSM, JBG, Malaysian Bar Council, Legal Aid Bureau).

2. Fact-Checking

All legal citations, fee ranges, court procedures, and statistics are verified against official sources. We cross-reference data across multiple authoritative references and flag any areas of uncertainty.

3. Editorial Review

Content is reviewed for clarity, completeness, and balance. We ensure guides cover both civil and Syariah perspectives where applicable, and are accessible to readers with no legal background.

4. Ongoing Updates

Malaysian family law evolves — new amendments, court decisions, and procedural changes occur regularly. We monitor legal developments and update our guides to reflect the latest information. Each article shows its last-updated date.

Our Sources

Our content draws from the following authoritative sources:

  • Legislation: Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976, Domestic Violence Act 1994, Guardianship of Infants Act 1961, Adoption Act 1952, and 14 state-level Islamic Family Law enactments
  • Court decisions: Published judgments from the Federal Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, and Syariah courts
  • Government agencies: JKSM (Department of Judiciary Malaysia), JBG (Legal Aid Bureau), DOSM (Department of Statistics), National Registration Department
  • Professional bodies: Malaysian Bar Council, State Syariah Bar Associations, IAFL (International Academy of Family Lawyers)
  • Legal aid organisations: Legal Aid Bureau (JBG), YBGK, Sisters in Islam, Women's Aid Organisation (WAO), All Women's Action Society (AWAM)

Lawyer Directory

Our directory of 605+ family law firms is compiled from publicly available data and scored using a transparent, data-driven methodology. We do not accept payment for rankings or higher placement. See our scoring methodology for full details on how firms are evaluated.

Important: This site provides general legal information, not legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, please consult a qualified lawyer. Read our full disclaimer.