My spouse gets nothing under intestacy rules. Is that possible?

What the Law Says

Under Singapore’s Intestate Succession Act, a surviving spouse is never completely excluded from an intestate estate. The law sets out precise shares depending on who else survives — especially whether there are children (issue), parents, or other relatives.

If you die without a will and leave behind a spouse and children, your spouse receives the first $500,000 of your estate plus half of whatever remains. Your children split the other half equally.

If you die leaving a spouse and parents — but no children — your spouse receives three-quarters of the estate, and your parents share the remaining one-quarter.

If you die leaving only a spouse and no children, parents, or siblings, your spouse inherits the entire estate.

Crucially, the law does not allow for a scenario where the spouse receives nothing. Even in complex family situations involving multiple generations or distant relatives, the spouse always receives at least a portion — and often the majority — of the estate.

Statutory Text

Where the intestate is survived by a spouse and issue, the spouse shall be entitled to one-half of the estate if the value of the estate exceeds $500,000, and to the whole of the estate if its value does not exceed $500,000.

— Intestate Succession Act, s. 7 — Distribution where intestate survived by spouse and issue

What to Do

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