Awards and Accolades
Mathea Lim is a highly sought-after family lawyer specialising in high-conflict and high-net worth divorces. She was recognised as one of “Singapore’s Rising Stars” in 2024 by Asian Legal Business. The prestigious accolade honours "exceptional lawyers who have demonstrated remarkable potential and have earned consistent client praise."
In particular, Mathea was praised for her “formidable achievements in complex matrimonial cases involving high-net-worth clients and international elements." Mathea was also commended for successfully managing a divorce case involving assets totalling $30 million, which included issues of asset dissipation and complex cross-border elements.
Mathea was also recently recognised for her outstanding contributions to the Legal Aid Bureau’s work, and received the Legal Aid Bureau’s Novo Award for 2025.
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.
Divorce, Custody, Dvision of Assets & Maintenance
- XIK v XIL [2025] SGHCF 16 - Recently acted for the husband and secured 72.5% of matrimonial assets, which amounted to $2.7 million out of a total matrimonial pool of $3.7 million.
- Mathea acted for a high-net-worth client in a highly complex matrimonial dispute (involving asset dissipation and cross-border elements) with assets worth $30 million, culminating in a successful confidential settlement at private mediation.
- Mathea was the lead lawyer in a widely publicised case where she successfully represented her client in securing preschool fees from her ex-husband for their son ("Court orders man to pay son's preschool fees to ex-wife").
- Successfully represented a father in securing sole care and control of his child in a highly contentious and emotionally charged dispute, by establishing that it was status quo for the father to act as the child’s primary caregiver.
- XCZ v XDA [2024] SGFC 78 - Acted for the Wife in a novel evidentiary dispute, compelling inspection of a critical document which the Husband claimed was lost. Successfully resisted the Husband’s subsequent appeals at two further hearings, reinforcing the integrity of the decision at first instance.
- XCZ v XDA [2025] SGHCF 38 – Acted for the Wife in securing 34% of the matrimonial asset pool with a gross value of more than $8million. The Court agreed to exclude the Wife’s inheritance monies, and importantly, decided that sole care and control of the two children should be granted to the Wife, despite the Husband’s strenuous arguments for shared care and control.
Personal Protection Orders (PPO)
- Mathea has extensive experience in Personal Protection matters, having acted successfully represented both complainants and respondents in such matters. Notably, Mathea was the lead counsel in a highly contested PPO case, and after a three-day trial, secured a decisive win by resisting a PPO sought against her client by the client’s spouse on behalf of their child.
Mathea combines sharp strategy with relentless courtroom advocacy. She is a seasoned trial lawyer with a strong track record in contested divorce cases. She recently secured a hard-fought victory for a client whose husband vigorously opposed the divorce. After multiple tranches of trial involving a thorough review of extensive audio and video evidence, the Court ruled entirely in favour of our client, granting the dissolution of marriage.
Recognised Excellence
Mathea has received numerous scholarships and awards, reflecting her academic excellence and expertise in family law:
- Distinction for Part B Family Law Course 2019.
- LexisNexis Family Law Prize December 2018 – awarded to the top student in Family Law (NUS Law).
- Wee Chong Jin Scholarship in Law (Academic Year 2018-2019).
- NUS Law Dean’s List (Academic Year 2015-2016).
While in law school, Mathea was also a founding director of the Student Disciplinary Assistance Scheme, where she provided guidance to students facing proceedings before the Board of Discipline and Disciplinary Appeals Board.
Professional Journey
Before joining PKWA Law, Mathea trained and worked at one of Singapore’s top law firms. Her passion lies in helping individuals through some of the most challenging times in their lives.
Mathea specialises in handling complex divorce cases, including cases with complex asset distributions and maintenance issues, as well as intricate disputes related to the custody of children.
She is known for her innovative thinking, practical solutions, meticulous attention to detail, and passionate advocacy. Mathea empowers her clients by helping them understand their legal positions, enabling them to make well-informed decisions throughout the divorce process. She is a strong advocate for therapeutic justice and promotes the amicable resolution of disputes through mediation whenever possible.
Mathea’s areas of work include:
- Court of Appeal matters
- Contentious and Non-Contentious Divorces
- Jurisdiction Issues
- Children Custody Issues
- Maintenance Issues
- Division of Assets
- Marital Agreements
- Separation Agreements
- Family Violence Issues
- High net worth divorces and family disputes
- Cross-border international disputes
- Child abduction matters
- Relocation Issues
- Pre-Nuptial Agreements
- Financial Separation Agreements
- Personal Protection matters
- Interim Maintenance Applications & Trials
- Contested Ancillary Issues
- Adoption matters
Scholarships awarded
- Distinction for Part B Family Law Course 2019.
- LexisNexis Family Law Prize December 2018 – awarded to the top student in Family Law (NUS Law).
- Wee Chong Jin Scholarship in Law (Academic Year 2018-2019).
- NUS Law Dean’s List (Academic Year 2015-2016).
Contact Us
Mathea Lim's dedication to family law and her compassionate approach make her a trusted advisor for your family law needs. Contact us today to discuss how Mathea and the PKWA Law team can assist you with your legal matters.