Your wealth took a lifetime
to build. Don't leave its
fate to the courts.

With a Will, you decide who receives your assets, who becomes guardian of your children, and who executes your estate. Without a Will (dying intestate), Singapore's Intestate Succession Act makes those decisions for you, allocating assets to spouse, children, and parents in a fixed legal order that may not match your actual wishes. The intestate process is slower, more expensive, and leaves no room for your family's specific circumstances or needs.

A Will only applies after you die. An LPA protects you while you are alive but unable to manage your affairs due to stroke, dementia, or accident. Without an LPA, if you lose mental capacity, your family must go to court to obtain a guardianship order, which is a costly and slow process. An LPA lets you name someone you trust to manage your healthcare, finances, and property decisions immediately without court intervention.

No. CPF is a separate legal asset that bypasses your Will entirely. It is distributed either to your CPF nominee or, in the absence of a valid nomination, under the Intestate Succession Act. This is why a CPF nomination is critical. Without one, your CPF (potentially $100,000 to $500,000 or more) goes to the Public Trustee, causing delays of months and removing those funds from your beneficiaries' control. Review your CPF nomination every three to five years or after major life events such as marriage, divorce, or the birth of children.

Without a Will naming a guardian, the court, not you, will decide who raises your children. This process often takes months and may not align with your family's wishes. Your children's inheritance is also locked with the Public Trustee until age 21, with no flexibility for education, emergencies, or special needs. A Will with a guardianship clause ensures your chosen caregiver is appointed and allows for flexible distribution via a testamentary trust.

Probate is the legal process of proving the validity of a Will and distributing the estate. In Singapore, uncontested probate typically takes three to six months, though some cases extend to 12 or 18 months. During this period, all estate assets are frozen, meaning your family cannot access inheritance or sell property. Probate is also costly, with legal fees, court fees, and executor fees adding up. Trusts and insurance-in-trust structures bypass probate entirely, allowing immediate distribution to beneficiaries.

Yes, but the process depends on the scale of change. For minor updates, a codicil (a legal amendment) can be signed. For major changes, it's safer to revoke the old Will and create a new one. Both require proper witnessing and must be done while you have mental capacity. After marriage, the old Will is automatically revoked unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage. Review your Will every 5 years or whenever your circumstances change significantly (new assets, new beneficiaries, business changes).

A trust is a legal structure where assets are held for beneficiaries' benefit, with a trustee managing them according to your instructions. Trusts allow control beyond death (e.g., release funds to a child at age 25, not age 21). They bypass probate entirely (faster, cheaper distribution), protect assets from creditors, and can accommodate special needs beneficiaries. A testamentary trust (created via Will) activates after death; an inter-vivos trust (created during lifetime) provides benefits while you're alive.

Review your estate plan at least annually and always after major life events: marriage, divorce, birth, the death of a beneficiary, significant asset changes, or business restructuring. A Will over 10 years old may be outdated. CPF nominations should be reviewed every three to five years. LPAs are generally permanent but should be reviewed if your chosen donee can no longer serve. Trusts and business structures may need adjustment as tax laws or family circumstances evolve.

Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a voluntary process of conversations about your values, beliefs, and preferences for future medical care if you become unable to speak for yourself. It is administered nationally by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC). An LPA appoints WHO can make legal and financial decisions for you during incapacity (legally binding), while ACP documents WHAT you would want for your medical care and quality of life (moral guidance to your family and healthcare team). For terminal illness specifically, the Advance Medical Directive (AMD) is a separate, legally binding refusal of extraordinary life-sustaining treatment under the AMD Act. The three instruments work together: LPA handles legal authority, ACP captures personal values, and AMD provides legal end-of-life refusal. Begin your ACP journey through an AIC-trained Facilitator at any participating polyclinic, hospital, or community partner, or visit aic.sg/care-services/advance-care-planning.

The Family Blueprint is a free interactive tool on this page for sketching your family structure — a simplified genogram. Estate plans fail most often not because of bad documents, but because of unseen family dynamics: a dependant nobody planned for, a second marriage, a special-needs child, a business with no successor. Mapping who is in your family — and their roles as beneficiaries, guardians, executors, or business owners — surfaces these conversations before they become Conflicts, Confusion and Costs. Sketch freely: nothing you draw is saved or transmitted, and it disappears when you leave the page. When you are ready to map it properly with professional eyes on the structure, book a conversation.