MANAGING DIRECTOR
DOROTHY TAN
Dorothy is a multi-award winning, leading family law practitioner. She is known for her working high-stakes, contentious matrimonial proceedings spanning acrimonious children matters to ultra-high net worth, multi-jurisdictional cases. Dedicating her life work to family law, she has won landmark Court of Appeal cases since her early days in practice.
Overview
A familiar presence in the Family Justice Courts, Dorothy is consistently recognised by leading legal directories for her advocacy, strategic insight, and depth of expertise in family law.
She has been conferred the inaugural Law Society Practice Excellence Award 2025 for her work in Family Law, which recognises leaders in the industry as assessed by their technical legal ability, service to the profession, reputation and character, and peer recognition and professional achievements.
Dorothy is also consistently ranked as a leading family & divorce lawyer, including as a Leading Family & Divorce Lawyer - Singapore (2026) in the recently published Doyle’s Guide.
Professional Background
At age 25, she was one of the youngest lawyers to appear as lead counsel in the Court of Appeal and crystallised Singapore’s new law on the structured approach in the division of matrimonial assets.
In another landmark Court of Appeal case, she successfully increased a client’s share of matrimonial assets from 25% to 75%, with the client obtaining $10.2million from an original decision of $3.4million. This is one of the largest increases on appeal in a divorce proceeding.
At the heart of her practice is a simple belief: that individuals have the ability to shape their lives, regardless of the circumstances they face. She works closely with her clients to guide them through difficult transitions, helping them move forward with clarity and confidence, even when the path ahead feels uncertain.
Dorothy is also a strong advocate for early, constructive conversations, and advises on pre-nuptial agreements as a means of setting clear expectations and reducing the potential for future conflict.
Notable Experience / Focus Areas
Dorothy acts across the full range of family law matters, with a strong focus on complex asset division, appellate litigation, and privacy-sensitive disputes. She has led landmark appellate cases and high-value contested proceedings, achieving significant outcomes in both asset division and financial relief. Her practice regularly involves advising high-net-worth individuals where strategic clarity and discretion are critical.
Awards and achievements
Law Society Practice Excellence Award for Family Law (2025) – Recipient of the inaugural award recognising outstanding professional excellence in family law by the Law Society of Singapore. One award in each specialisation is given annually to lawyers who have demonstrated professional excellence, technical mastery, and peer recognition in their field of law.
Litigation Star – Family & Matrimonial Law (2025, 2024, 2022, 2021) – Recognised by Benchmark Litigation for sustained client and peer recognition in family and matrimonial litigation.
Finalist, Woman Lawyer of the Year (2025, 2024, 2018) – Southeast Asia Law Awards by Asian Legal Business, acknowledging excellence and leadership among senior female practitioners in the region.
Top 40 Under 40 (2024) – Named by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific as part of its annual list highlighting leading litigators of the next generation.
Top 100 Women in Litigation, Asia-Pacific (2022, 2021) – Recognised by Benchmark Litigation for impact, professional standing, and peer respect in complex litigation matters.
Leading Family & Divorce Lawyer (2016–2026) – Ranked by Doyle’s Guide for eleven consecutive years.
Young Lawyer of the Year (Finalist) (2017) – Asian Legal Business.
Asia’s Brightest Young Lawyers – 40 Under 40 (2016) – Asian Legal Business.
Singapore’s Most Influential Lawyers Aged 40 and Under (2016) – Named by Singapore Business Review in recognition of professional leadership and influence.
Family and Matrimonial Lawyer of the Year (2026) – Shortlisted by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific.
Professional memberships and appointments
Member, Discharge Committee (Women’s Charter), Ministry of Social and Family Development
Member, Review Board (Children and Young Persons Homes), Ministry of Social and Family Development
Accredited Family Mediator, Singapore Mediation Centre
Accredited Mediator, Singapore Mediation Centre
Accredited Collaborative Family Practitioner (CFP), Singapore Mediation Centre
Associate Mediator, Law Society Mediation Scheme Panel of Mediators.
Appointed by the Chief Justice to the Inquiry Panel of the Law Society of Singapore
Co-Chairperson, Middle Category Committee, Law Society of Singapore
Member, Mentorship Working Committee, Law Society of Singapore
Course Facilitator (Family Law), Singapore Institute of Legal Education
Mentor, Singapore Law Society Mentorship Scheme
