Problems with Formal Law and Applied Law can explain why underlying
structures of Indonesian legal institutions are weak.
But ultimately, regardless of the system, what happens in your
case all comes down to law for you, or Your Law.
When you need recourse to law...
The whole point of a contract or legal document is that you have recourse to law
in event of disagreement. For Indonesians it can be difficult, but expatriates often
have no recourse at all. The system is rife with collusion and corruption, expatriates
don’t know how it works, and you can’t assume that your lawyer is working for your
best interests.
“Owning” a property does not guarantee you can somehow receive compensation should
it be taken from you, even by blatant fraud. Being “legally” married or the parent
of your child does not guarantee you will have that status recognized in a divorce
or while seeking child custody or even child visitation.
If you have a contract, a marriage document, your child’s birth certificate, and
yet the courts refuse to acknowledge your documents, the police refuse to investigate
your complaints, and even your own lawyers collude with your opponent and misrepresent
their actions on your behalf, how the law is written or enforced in any case other
than yours is absolutely irrelevant.
You lose.