Writing a will in Singapore: cost, options, and what happens if you don't

A will is the cheapest piece of paper your parent can leave behind. Without one, the law decides who gets what, and the answer is rarely what your parent would have chosen.

Writing one in Singapore is uncomplicated. Cost runs $0 (DIY template) to $800 (full lawyer drafting). The legal requirements are short: your parent must be 21 or older, of sound mind, sign the will in front of two witnesses who aren't beneficiaries (or spouses of beneficiaries), and the witnesses must sign in their presence.

What happens without a will

For non-Muslims, the Intestate Succession Act takes over. The default split surprises most families.

Spouse alive, children alive: spouse gets half, children share the other half equally.
Spouse alive, no children, parents alive: spouse gets half, parents share half.
Spouse alive, no children, no parents: spouse gets everything.
No spouse, children alive: children share equally.
No spouse, no children: parents take everything, then siblings, then more distant relatives.

If your parent wanted a specific item to go to a specific child, or wanted to provide for a long-term partner they never married, or wanted to leave something to a charity, intestacy ignores all of that. The split is mechanical.

For Muslims, inheritance follows Muslim law via the Syariah Court. A surviving spouse, sons, daughters, and parents take fixed fractions (a son's share is twice a daughter's, for example). A Muslim can will away one-third of the estate by wasiat; the remaining two-thirds follows the fixed shares. After death, the executor or family applies for an Inheritance Certificate from the Syariah Court, which sets out who is entitled and to what proportion.

Three ways to write a will

Lawyer-drafted ($300 to $800). A solicitor meets your parent, asks about assets and intentions, drafts the will, and witnesses the signing. Worth it for complex estates: multiple properties, a business, beneficiaries overseas, second marriage with children from a first marriage, trust structures for minor children. Most law firms offer a flat fee for a standard will. Some legal clinics (run by the Law Society's Pro Bono Services and Community Justice Centre) offer free or low-cost wills for eligible seniors.

Online services ($50 to $200). Rockwills, Hugo, WillCraft, and a few others. Your parent answers a questionnaire, the system generates the will, they print it, sign in front of two witnesses, and store the original. Fine for simple estates: one property, straightforward family, no complications.

DIY template (free). Legal in Singapore if signed correctly. Two witnesses, both adults, neither a beneficiary or married to one. Risky if the wording is sloppy or the estate has any complexity. A poorly worded clause can land the estate in litigation later.

For most middle-income families, an online service is the sweet spot. Templates have been lawyer-reviewed, electronic copies are stored for you, and updates are cheap.

What goes in the will

The essentials:

Executor. The person who applies for the Grant of Probate, collects the assets, pays debts, and distributes per the will. Pick someone organised, resident in Singapore, and ideally younger than the testator. Name a backup.
Beneficiaries and shares. Who gets what. Specific items (the watch, the HDB flat) and percentages of the residue.
Guardian for minor children. If your parent has children under 21, name a guardian.
Funeral wishes. Burial or cremation, religious rites, specific instructions. Not legally binding, but useful for the family.
Witnesses. Two adults. Not beneficiaries. Not spouses of beneficiaries.

A will doesn't override: CPF money (governed by the CPF nomination), insurance policies with named beneficiaries, jointly held property (passes to the surviving joint owner by survivorship), and assets held in trust. Those route around the will entirely.

Executor duties

The executor's job starts the day your parent dies and ends when the estate is fully distributed. Tasks include:

Locating the original will.
Engaging a probate lawyer. Legal aid is available for low-income estates through the Legal Aid Bureau.
Applying for the Grant of Probate at the Family Justice Courts.
Filing the Schedule of Assets.
Notifying banks, CPF Board, insurance companies, and IRAS.
Selling property if the will requires it.
Paying outstanding debts.
Distributing per the will.

Probate for a simple estate takes three to six months. Complex estates take a year or more. The executor is personally liable for mistakes. Tell whoever you're naming, in writing, before they find out at the funeral.

Where to keep the will

The original is what matters. A photocopy isn't enough to obtain probate.

Options:

At home in a fireproof box. Cheapest. Tell the executor exactly where it is.
With your lawyer. They release the original to the executor on production of the death certificate. Some charge a small storage fee.
Register the location with the Wills Registry at the Singapore Academy of Law. The fee is $50. The Registry doesn't store the will itself, only the details of where it lives and which lawyer drafted it. The executor can search after death.

Tell the executor and one other person where the original is kept. A will nobody can find is a will that doesn't exist.

Update when life changes

A new marriage revokes a Singapore will under the Wills Act, unless the will was made in contemplation of that marriage. A divorce doesn't revoke the will, but treats the ex-spouse as having died for the purpose of distribution.

Other triggers to update: a new child or grandchild, the death of a beneficiary or executor, a major asset purchase or sale, moving abroad. Cheap to redo with an online service. Cheaper than the legal tangle of an outdated will.