Athelia Ong
Senior Associate, Family Law
Advocate & Solicitor, Supreme Court of Singapore
Bachelor of Laws, Singapore Management University
“An exceptional family lawyer who consistently achieves excellent results” – Asian Legal Business
Specialist Family Lawyer
Athelia Ong is a specialist family lawyer at PKWA Law, specialising in all areas of family and matrimonial law. She advises and represents clients in both contested and uncontested matters, including divorces, custody disputes, maintenance applications, and complex cross-border family issues. She also advises her clients on wills, probate and legacy planning. Known for her calm and compassionate approach, Athelia guides her clients through challenging transitions with clarity and care, always striving for fair, practical, and cost-effective outcomes.
Athelia is part of the PKWA Law family law team recognised by The Straits Times as one of “Singapore’s Best Law Firms” in Family Law in 2025 and 2026.
Awards and Accolades
Athelia was named one of Singapore’s Rising Stars by Asian Legal Business in 2026 – an accolade recognising Singapore’s best young legal talent.
Athelia is described as “having built a strong reputation for handling complex, high-conflict matrimonial disputes.”
Notable Cases
Where cases are reported, they are cited from publicly available court judgments. In all other matters, client names and identifying details have been anonymised or generalised to preserve clients’ confidentiality.
- Appeal Achieving 43% Increase in Company Valuation, Leading to Higher Asset Recovery for Wife – Acted for the wife in a matrimonial appeal involving a private company, securing a 43% uplift in valuation (from $818,531.82 to $1.1 million). This strategic increase resulted in the client receiving an additional $30,752.99 in the final asset division, strengthening her overall award in a $2.77 million asset pool despite the husband being the primary breadwinner.
- XFD v XFE [2024] SGHCF 43 (Reported High Court Decision) – Assisted lead counsel in a High Court decision involving matrimonial assets exceeding $5 million, successfully securing a 55:45 division in favour of the Husband. Achieved this outcome through submissions showing this was a moderately lengthy single-income marriage where the Husband made considerable direct and indirect contributions.
- Successful Defence of High Court Appeal on Upward Variation of Child Maintenance – Assisted lead counsel in defending a High Court appeal in which the wife sought to increase child maintenance from $3,000 to $8,000 per month. The Court dismissed the appeal, accepting our evidence-based submissions and rejecting the wife’s bare assertions. The client was thereby saved from substantial long-term financial liability, and the court affirmed the principle of shared parental responsibility
- PPO Granted to Protect Child from Primary Caregiver – Acted for a father in obtaining a Personal Protection Order for the child against the mother, the primary caregiver, based on emotional and psychological abuse. The Court simultaneously dismissed the mother’s cross-application, validating our evidence and ensuring the child’s protection in a highly contested, emotionally complex matter.
- Successful Defence Against Husband’s Full Discovery & Interrogatories Application (Costs Awarded) – Acted as lead counsel for the wife in resisting the husband’s summons for extensive discovery and interrogatories. Successfully persuaded the Court to dismiss the application in its entirety with costs, shielding the client from unnecessary disclosure obligations and preventing fishing expeditions that could prejudice her position in the ancillary matters.
- Successful Application Compelling Husband’s Disclosure of Key Financial Documents – Acted as lead counsel for the wife in her discovery and interrogatories application. Successfully convinced the Court to compel the husband’s production of critical documents concerning his income and assets, strengthening the integrity of the matrimonial asset pool and safeguarding the wife’s rights in the upcoming ancillary matters proceedings.
- Negotiated 68% Asset Retention for Husband in Long 23-Year Single-Income Marriage – Assisted lead counsel in negotiating a settlement for the husband to retain 68% of the known matrimonial assets in a 23-year single-income marriage, despite the wife being a traditional homemaker.
- Negotiated 56% Division for Wife from $5.4M Estate, Including Full Retention of Overseas Home – Assisted lead counsel in securing for the wife 56% of a $5.4 million matrimonial estate, including her full retention of an overseas residential property in which she lived but made no financial contributions toward. The settlement preserved her housing stability and ensured her long-term independence following the divorce.
Community Involvement
Outside of her legal practice, Athelia is actively involved in the local arts scene and has performed on both local and international stages. She believes in giving back to the community and has volunteered at pro bono clinics and in South Africa.
Contact Us
Athelia Ong’s dedication to family law and her compassionate approach make her a trusted adviser for your family law needs. Contact us today to discuss how Athelia and the PKWA Law team can assist you with your legal matters.
Media & Publications
Research Assistant for Prof. Gary Chan
- Researched mental incapacity, undue influence and best interests under the Mental Capacity Act of Singapore, resulting in the eventual publication of “Assessing mental capacity: BUV v BUU [2019] SGHCF 15” in the Singapore Academy of Law Journal.
Research Assistant for Mr. Vincent Ooi
- Conducted research and assisted in the drafting of chapters in Singapore Trusts Law.
Appointments & Memberships
- Member, Law Society of Singapore
- Member, Singapore Academy of Law
Law Society Practice Excellence Award in Family Law (2025)
PKWA in the Media
Our awards and accolades
PKWA Law recognised for sixth year running in the Straits Times “Singapore’s Best Law Firms”
