Madeleine Poh: Living a Life of Purpose as a Family Lawyer and Beauty Queen

The 2025 winner of Mrs Petite Global talks about practising family law while  realising her dreams of competing in beauty pageants.  

“I’ve handled the divorce for a couple who were married for 46 years. They separated in their  70s. Can you imagine? It really doesn’t matter how long you’ve been married. You must always make a conscious effort to nurture a relationship and communicate with one another.

It was sad, but both parties accepted that their marriage had run its course. I think the true  value in marriage lies in the time shared together, so I don’t think any marriage was a waste  of time.

I’ve been practising law for five years. As someone who specialises in family law, I handle  divorces and related legal matters, from child custody to property division. It’s an interesting  job because you get to meet all kinds of people and see how your work truly impacts others.

It can be challenging. The work can take an emotional toll on you. When I started practising  law five years ago, my husband and I weren’t married yet. We were planning to, but handling  so many divorce cases every day started to wear down my enthusiasm for marriage.

What helped me overcome my reservations was preparing my wedding gift for my friend. I  decided to paint her pre-wedding portrait, and with every stroke of the paintbrush, I started  reconnecting with the romantic part of me that had gotten buried under case files and court battles.

Painting their happiness and capturing that pure joy on canvas helped me reinstill my  belief in the institution of marriage.

And I realised that, just because things may not work out in the end, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try. That was a life-defining moment that helped me feel ready for marriage, both mentally and emotionally.

I think having hobbies and diverse interests helps me keep perspective, too. Beyond the law  and courtroom, there’s still life. That’s why I do mermaiding, create content on social media  and coach public speaking. I also compete in pageants and currently hold the international  title of Mrs Petite Global.

As a child, I’ve always admired beauty queens and their effortless grace, poise and  confidence. They’re able to advocate not only for themselves, but also the people around  them. It was always a childhood dream of mine to join a beauty pageant.

What I didn’t know was that most ‘Miss’ pageants required you to be single. So in the year that I  was planning my wedding, I joined two beauty pageants. I made it all the way to the top six in both, and I thought I was done after that. I had ticked off this long-time dream on my bucket list.

But after I got married, the National Director of Mrs Petite Global Singapore handpicked me to represent Singapore in the international competition. I went on to represent Singapore  on the global stage and was crowned Mrs Petite Global.

I’m very grateful for Mrs Petite Global because their requirements work for me. I didn’t have  to be single to join as it’s for women who are married, widowed or divorced. It’s also open to  women who are below 1.68 metres in height, which is perfect for me.

As society changes and evolves, so do beauty pageants and their criteria. It’s still catching  up, but at least it’s moving in the right direction. Now, there are more pageants creating niche and specialised spaces for all types of women.

In this day and age when women are  expected to be placed on an onerous pedestal with unfair standards set by others, I think it is  important for women to re-define standards for themselves without any pressure from other people, and to use our voice to empower the voiceless.

Yes, I was still working as a lawyer while competing in Mrs Petite Global. It all comes down  to good time management and compartmentalisation. It’s something Singaporeans know all  too well since we were kids juggling school with extracurricular activities.

When I was focused on pageant activities, I was fully committed. But when I was working as  a family lawyer, I was 100 percent in as well. I didn’t let myself get distracted. Being a family  lawyer matters a lot to me, and I’m always reminded of my purpose.

What inspired me to be a lawyer was wanting to make the law accessible to everyone. I grew up in a middle-income family in Singapore, so I always felt like a legal career was intimidating and out of reach.

But when I started law school, I realised the law is actually not scary. It’s straightforward when you break it down and have someone to guide you through it.

As a family lawyer, my role is to help clients navigate a very challenging and difficult period of  their lives. I want to make the law less intimidating for all, because I sincerely believe that  when you know the law, you know your rights.” – Madeleine Poh

Interview by Arman Shah

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Subscribe to Madeleine Poh’s YouTube channel where she educates people on beauty  pageantry and issues relating to family and divorce laws in Singapore, and all other lifestyle content. Follow her on  Instagram and Tiktok.