Estate Planning

A valid will in Singapore must be in writing, signed by the testator (or by someone else in their presence and by their direction), and witnessed by at least two people who are present at the same time.

Yes, a foreign will is valid in Singapore if it complies with the law of the place where it was made, the testator’s domicile, or Singapore law — including formal requirements under the Wills Act.

You can revoke a will in Singapore by making a new will, writing 'cancelled' across it with intent to revoke, or destroying it completely. To change your will, you must make a new will or add a valid codicil.

Yes, marriage automatically revokes a will in Singapore, unless the will was made in contemplation of that marriage.

If you die without a will in Singapore, your estate is distributed according to the Intestate Succession Act, which sets fixed shares for surviving spouses, children, parents, and other relatives based on family structure.

In Singapore, joint tenancy overrides intestacy: when a co-owner dies, their share automatically passes to the surviving joint tenant(s) by right of survivorship — it does not form part of the deceased’s estate and is not distributed under the Intestate Succession Act.

Yes, it is possible — if you have living children, your spouse receives only the first $500,000 of your estate plus half of the remainder; if you have no children but living parents, your spouse gets three-quarters and your parents one-quarter; and if you have neither children nor parents, your spouse inherits everything.

If a married person in Singapore dies intestate with children, the spouse receives the first $500,000 of the estate plus half of the remainder; the children share the other half equally.

Letters of Administration is a court order that appoints a person (an administrator) to manage and distribute the estate of someone who died without a valid will in Singapore.

Yes, an executor can be removed by the court under the Probate and Administration Act if they are unfit, incapable, or fail to perform their duties properly.

No, probate is not required for all estates in Singapore — it depends on the type and value of assets, and whether they are held solely or jointly.

The Public Trustee in Singapore acts as administrator for small estates valued at $50,000 or less, where there is no will or no executor is willing/able to act.

Your CPF savings do not form part of your estate and are paid directly to your validly nominated beneficiaries; if you have no nomination, the money is transferred to the Public Trustee for distribution according to the Intestate Succession Act.

Debts must be paid from the estate in this order: funeral expenses, administration expenses, secured debts, unsecured debts (including taxes), and legacies last.

Insurance policies with a validly nominated beneficiary pass directly to that person and are not part of the deceased’s estate. If no beneficiary is nominated, the payout forms part of the estate and is distributed under the Intestate Succession Act if there is no will.

To create a trust for your children in Singapore, you must clearly express your intention to create a trust, identify the trust property, name your children as beneficiaries, and appoint at least one trustee — who may be yourself or another person — all in writing.

A trustee in Singapore must act honestly, with reasonable care and skill, and in the best interests of the beneficiaries, as required by the Trustees Act.

Yes, you can appoint a guardian for your minor children in your will under Singapore law, provided the appointment is made in writing and signed by you as the testator.

Yes, you can disinherit your children in Singapore, as the Wills Act does not require you to leave anything to them.

Yes, you can challenge a will in Singapore on grounds of undue influence, but you must prove that the testator’s free will was overborne by coercion or manipulation.

If a beneficiary dies before the testator, their gift under the will fails and lapses, unless the Wills Act s. 26 applies to save it — but only if the deceased beneficiary left issue who survive the testator.

No, a Muslim in Singapore cannot make a will for all their property — only up to one-third may be disposed of by will; the rest must follow Syariah inheritance rules.

To set up a lasting power of attorney (LPA) in Singapore, you must use the official LPA Form 1 or Form 2, have it certified by an LPA certificate issuer, and register it with the Office of the Public Guardian — the Wills Act does not govern LPAs.