s 43A Court may refer parties for counselling, etc.
43A.—(1) The Court before which any matter mentioned in section 35(2), 46B, 47, 48, 49, 51 or 52 is heard may, if the Court considers that doing so is in the interests of any of the parties or their children —(a) order any of the parties or their children to attend counselling provided by a person the Court appoints, or advise any of the parties or their children to attend a family support programme or activity; or (b) advise any person falling within a prescribed class of persons to attend a family support programme or activity.[Act 11 of 2022 wef 03/03/2025] (2) Where the Court has made an order or given advice under subsection (1)(a), the parties must comply with the order or advice.[Act 11 of 2022 wef 03/03/2025] (3) If any order or advice under subsection (1)(a) is not complied with, the Court may make such further orders as the Court thinks fit.[Act 11 of 2022 wef 03/03/2025] (4) The further orders that the Court may make under subsection (3) include the following:(a) an order that the proceedings be stayed until all of the parties or their children who have been ordered by the Court under subsection (1)(a) to attend counselling, or advised to attend a family support programme or activity, have done so; (b) such order as to costs as the Court thinks appropriate against the party who fails to comply with the order under subsection (1)(a).[Act 11 of 2022 wef 03/03/2025] (5) Anything said, any document prepared, and any information provided, by any person for the purposes of or in the course of any counselling or any family support programme or activity under this section is not to be admitted in evidence in the Court or any court.[33/2017] (6) [Deleted by Act 11 of 2022 wef 03/03/2025] (7) In this section, “family support programme or activity” means any programme or activity carried out for the purpose of addressing or resolving any relationship issue or relationship problem between spouses or former spouses, between siblings or between parent and child.[33/2017]