Nowadays people are living longer than ever before, but with an aging population comes an increase in mental illnesses. To protect the population in Singapore, the Government introduced the Mental Capacity Act 2008, which came into force from 2010. The legislation enables anyone older than 21 to appoint someone to act on their behalf, should they ever lose their mental capacity and be unable to make decisions. The Act also...
This article explores inheritance law concerning HDB (Housing and Development Board) flats, and seeks to answer some common questions. It can be complicated and often confusing to inherit an HDB flat. The process is influenced by many factors. The most important considerations are (1) whether the deceased person left a valid will, and (2) whether there are other owners of the HDB flat. Maybe you are the co-owner of an...
A Grant of Letters of Administration is a document issued to whoever administers the estate of someone who passes away without leaving a valid Will. It is granted by the Family Court, and the administrator is usually the deceased’s next of kin. When is a Grant of Letter of Administration needed? You need one when someone who owns assets dies intestate (without a valid Will). After death, someone needs to...
If a person dies and leaves a valid Will, then the Executor (named in the Will) must apply to the court to obtain a Grant of Probate so that the beneficiaries ultimately get what they are entitled to. The executor is given the authority to deal with the deceased’s estate when the court issues probate. Then they can instruct banks and other financial institutions to move the necessary funds before...
