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Making a will may seem like a taboo subject as one plans what is going to happen to his money and assets after death. As children, it can also be a difficult subject to bring up without looking like you are coveting your parents’ assets.
When do I need to write a will for my HDB?
Under the HDB policy on retainment of flat following life events, if the deceased is a joint owner of the flat, his or her share will be transferred to the remaining owners, who will have to lodge a Notice of Death with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).
If the deceased is the sole owner of the HDB, this is when a will is necessary for the flat to be distributed accordingly. In cases where a will was not made, the family will have to engage a private solicitor to apply for a court order for the property to be distributed by the provisions of the Intestate Succession Act.
Ultimately, without a will, you are leaving it to the state to decide on the management and distribution of your assets. This would mean that your loved ones have no rights and power over what happens to your estates, and would have to go through a longer and more tiresome process after you are gone.
How to write my will?
You may think that writing a will requires you to spend a large sum to engage a lawyer to oversee the process, but you can actually write your own will. According to Singapore Legal Advice, the following are required to validate your will:
- The will must be in writing
- You must be at least 21 years old
- You must sign at the foot of the will
- Your signature must be witnessed by 2 or more witnesses, who must also sign the will
- The 2 witnesses cannot be beneficiaries of the will or spouses of the beneficiaries
Although the will should state clearly what kind of assets you have (property, cash, jewellery, insurance etc) and how you want them to be managed, not all can be distributed as you wish. For example, CPF cannot be willed and you will have to make a separate CPF nomination.
Besides drafting your own will, you may also wish to consider a Lasting Power of Attorney, a legal document, that allows you to appoint one or more people to make decisions on your behalf in the case where you lost physical and mental capacity to do so on your own.
If you are not confident about writing your own will, you may hire a lawyer to draft it up for you. In Singapore, the average cost of engaging a lawyer to draft a will is around $200 to $400, and $500 or more if the will is complicated such as having overseas assets involved.
10 Will Lawyers in Singapore
1. SimplyWills
SimplyWills is a legal service provider that offers only will writing services. Specialising in this field for over 15 years, the firm has earned many five stars google reviews for being professional and friendly. Some reviews mentioned that the process was explained clearly in simple language, so even if it’s your first time drafting a will or if you are bringing your parents or grandparents, the experience is pretty much stress-free. SimplyWills also conducts many will-writing workshops that are free of charge.
The prices are also transparent and the basic personal will includes:
- Personal particulars of client
- Revocation clause
- Appointment of executors, trustees and guardians
- Defining rights and powers of executor and trustees
- Standard provision for real properties, insurance policies, joint accounts and jewellery
- Distribution of residual estate
- Common disaster clause
- Translation for non-English speaking clients
- 2 witnesses
SimplyWills offer personal will at $381.50. Husband and wife mirror wills are also available at 10% discount.
SimplyWills is located at 2 Havelock Road, Havelock 2, #05-17/18, Singapore 059763. Contact 6323 2326.
2. PKWA Law Practice LLC
PKWA Law is awarded by The Straits Times as one of Singapore’s best family law firms and they offer a range of legal services such as divorce, custody, bankruptcy, criminal defense and will writing. Even local celebrities Fann Wong and Christopher Lee did their Lasting Power of Attorney here!
A client also mentioned that “the team demonstrated exceptional expertise in family law and estate planning. They provided clear and comprehensive advice, ensuring I understood every step of the process. Their attention to detail and dedication to my case made me feel supported and confident throughout.”
The firm has a fairly large team with 6 lawyers who specialise in estate planning and wills, so you don’t have to worry about the lack of experts available to assist you.
PKWA Law offers basic will writing at $700, Lasting Power of Attorney at $300 and a packaged price for both services at $790.
PKWA Law is located at 480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, HDB Hub East Wing Tower, #16-00, Singapore 310480. WhatsApp: 9090 3158.
3. Asia Law Corporation
The website may not be very comprehensive but Asia Law Corporation has earned more than 300 high rating google reviews. Specialising in legal issues faced by the elderly, they offer services such as wills and estate planning and representing clients in mental capacity cases and Lasting power of Attorney.
Most of the reviews described Asia Law as professional and helpful. A client mentioned that the lawyer he was liaising with had gone beyond the mile by all the way to his mother’s home to assist with her will. Even after the passing of the mother, the lawyer continued to assist his family in the execution of the will. Asia Law did not only earn high ratings for will making services but also in their management of inheritance disputes.
The firm does not offer a price list on their website but the price is said to be reasonable by some reviewers.
Asia Law Corporation 490 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, HDB Hub, #03-17, Singapore 310490. Contact: 6222 2966.
4. DMO Law Corporation
A boutique law firm located near City Hall, DMO Law is led by Desmond Ong, who had an impressive education background at branded schools. He was a mechanical engineer by training at Cornell University and completed his masters at Stanford University. He then stepped into law and achieved a Juris Doctor degree in Law at Singapore Management University.
Desmond’s interest in Law stemmed from his first-hand experience with people who faced legal difficulties and saw the tremendous amount of stress they faced due to the lack of knowledge about how to deal with the legalities in Singapore. With this as motivation, he adopted a transparent approach, offering flat fee consultations and being there for the clients until the cases are resolved.
A simple will drafting service at DMO Law would include the following:
- Drafting of will
- Up to 2 executors
- Up to 10 beneficiaries
- One simple trust for beneficiaries under the age of 21 years
- 2 independent witnesses
- One original copy of the will and up to 3 certified true copies at no additional charge.
DMO Law offers simple will drafting at $300.
DMO Law is located at 36 Armenian Street, #05-11, Singapore 179934.
5. Fortis Wills
Fortis Wills is founded by Patrick Tan, a lawyer by profession and founder of Fortis Law Corporation. Fortis Wills can be said to be the wing of Fortis Life Group of Companies, and was set up with the sole purpose of helping people safeguard their legacy and ensure that it is properly passed down to their loved ones.
Many local celebrities such as Darren Lim, Evelyn Ng and Terence Cao have also engaged Fortis Wills to do their wills and Lasting Power of Attorneys.
The workflow for drafting a will is fairly straightforward at Fortis Wills.
- Make a call or send an email to request an appointment.
- Prepare NRIC and list of documents required after confirmation of appointment.
- During the meeting, you will fill in a form and discuss your requirements.
- Sign on the will in the presence of the witnesses provided by Fortis Wills.
- Select the custody and way to store your will
Price of will writing is not mentioned but you may contact Fortis Wills via their website or phone number to get a quotation.
Fortis Wills is located at 8 Eu Tong Sen Street, The Central, #23-92, Singapore 059818. Contact: 6532 3848.
6. Bonsai Law Corporation
A boutique law firm that is different from the usual traditional law firms, Bonsai Law is founded by Lawyer Shen Han, who believes in utilizing technology to ensure quality services at affordable prices.
On the website homepage, we found the essence of Bonsai Law - “(we’ll) explain to you the reality of how we do business and what to really expect from us…. Not everyone is going to like how we do things. Or want to engage us. And that’s perfectly fine. But at least you’ll know whether you want to engage us or not.” Such a straightforward demeanor may not be common and we appreciate that they value transparency and honesty in their relationships with clients.
Bonsai Law also has their fair share of happy clients. A client approached Bonsai Law after his mother had passed away without a will. “Throughout the entire process, there was constant communication at the appropriate timeline and flexibility in arranging appointments to meet and sign required documents due to the nature of my shift work,” he wrote.
Bonsai Law offers drafting of will at $300 nett for estates below $3 million.
Bonsai Law is located at 1 North Bridge Road, High Street Centre, #08-08, Singapore 179094. Contact: 6550 6359.
7. Precepts Group
Precepts Group is a new name after the acquisition of a group of companies previously known as Rockwills Singapore. The Group specialises in estate planning, trusts, legal and financial services.
Precepts Group has a team of experienced Estate & Succession Practitioners who can guide you through the process of creating a will that is tailored to you and your wishes. In addition to simply drafting a will, they can also administer your estate according to your instructions should you no longer be around.
A common trait that reviewers have highlighted is that Precepts Group creates a will that is tailored to you. They will also ensure that you are informed of any potential pitfalls and missing clauses or details that you should include. One review wrote, “Precepts provides one-stop Estate Planning services such that individuals can enjoy ease and affordability to make wise asset arrangements and distributions for their loved ones and charitable organizations.”
Price of will writing is not mentioned but you may contact Precepts Group via their website or phone number to get a quotation.
Precepts Group is located at 10 Anson Road, International Plaza, #06-17, Singapore 079903. Contact: 6221 8633.
8. FND Legal
The founder and managing director of FND Legal is Liza Effendy, who is a skilled lawyer with experience in Family Law and estate matters. Some of these legal services she provides include drafting a will and powers of attorney, creating trusts and comprehensive estate plans. In addition to her work at FND Legal, Liza Effendy is also an adjunct lecturer for the Law course at Temasek Polytechnic.
One of the google reviews commended Liza Effendy for her remarkable attitude towards her clients. The client was looking for a lawyer on a weekend to assist with his parents’ wills and Lasting Power of Attorneys. He was impressed that the law firm replied to him on a Saturday and it was Lawyer Effendy who replied directly. “Additionally, she is very attentive to the details of my parents’ Wills and would walk my parents through the Will’s content during the signing process. My mum only communicates in Mandarin and it was no issue with Liza because she spoke Mandarin too,” he shared.
Muslim friends may also consider FND Legal as Liza Effendy is fluent in English, Mandarin and Malay, and she practices Family Law in both Syariah Court and Family Justice Courts.
Price of will writing is not mentioned but you may contact FND Legal via their website or phone number to get a quotation.
FND Legal is located at 60 Paya Lebar Road, Paya Lebar Square Office Lobby 2, #04-40 Singapore 409051. Contact: 9653 1612.
9. Tembusu Law
Tembusu Law calls themselves a “modern day Singapore law firm” and we can confirm this after seeing all the fun team lunches and tiktok-looking reels on their Instagram page! The firm’s founder and managing director is Jonathan Wong, who is also the founder of LawGuide Singapore, a legaltech startup that launched Singapore’s first legal chatbot.
A look at the services they provide on their website and google reviews, it seems that Tembusu Law’s expertise is in family law, especially with regard to divorce. The website also provides very extensive information about divorce proceedings and what to expect.
Even though the information about wills is very limited on their website, we found a google review from a client who made her will at Tembusu Law. She was living overseas but managed to receive assistance from Rachel Ong at Tembusu Law through Whatsapp call. Her questions were answered clearly and managed to complete the process smoothly.
Price of will writing is not mentioned but Tembusu Law offers free consultation and you can reach them via Whatsapp.
Tembusu Law is located at 11 Keng Cheow St, The Riverside Piazza, #02-05, Singapore 059608. WhatsApp: 8886 0278.
10. Yuen Law LLC
An award winning law firm, Yuen Law has a large team of 16 lawyers providing different areas of services such as corporate, disputes, family and private wealth. Besides representing clients in their cases, Yuen Law is also dedicated to education, hosting many workshops and seminars at universities and corporate companies.
The Head of Private Wealth & Family Practice, Director Lim Fung Peen, has also conducted a talk recently at Singapore LNG about wills, lasting power of attorney, and probate. Some questions he have covered included, “have you done mutual wills for husband and wives?”, “can you appoint 2 donees in a Lasting Power of Attorney?” and “is it useful to have a trust in my will?” The information is also shared on their Facebook post.
Price of will writing is not mentioned but you may contact Yuen Law via their website or phone number to get a quotation.
Yuen Law LLC is located at 50 South Bridge Road, #02-00 / #03-00 / #04-00, Singapore 058682. Contact: 6536 6037.