Singapore Expats

I have a will written in Australia, but having accumulated various assets in here in Singapore over the last 4 yrs.

I would expect wills would be pretty universal world wide, but have since been told I need to write a will in Singapore because my Australian will has no jurisdiction in regards to my local assets here (condo, furnishings etc... ).

Is it essential to for me to write a will in Singapore?
I approached a solictor about this but wanted me to fork out $600 ..Highway robbery

thx

Yes, you need a Singapore will for Singapore assets. If you have an executor and trustee for your Australian will then your Singapore will can be as simple as assigning all your assets to the executor for distribution under the terms of the Oz will.

And $600 aint that much for advice, consultation, and will production.

Useful topic?

Does your singapore will need to be approved by singapore legal council? I have a signed witnessed will that I got from the internet (very simple - xyz gets all my assets).

What happens to your assets if you don't have a will in singapore?

It will go through probate court and then get dispersed according to the local laws of succession with a percentage going to the spouse, children etc.

http://app.subcourts.gov.sg/civil/page. ... id=10967#2

I own a private property in Singapore and I'd like to write and register a will for my partner who is also a foreigner? Is it possible in Singapore? Both of us are working with EP in Singapore.

I am in the middle of sorting out my old man probate lark and what a nightmare, slightly different in that he had assets in France, but he wrote a UK will detailing the french assets, so far I am hitting a brick wall in France because there is no 'french' will.

Just to be on the safe side its worth writing a will or at least getting expert advice for every country you have assets in even if its just a bank account, and the $600 is peanuts compared to what you or the poor bugger (executor of the will) has to pay for certified translators, accountants, lawyers etc to sort the mess out.

Luckily for me he managed to "dispose" of the assets in half a dozen other countries before he croaked.

woking wrote:I own a private property in Singapore and I'd like to write and register a will for my partner who is also a foreigner? Is it possible in Singapore? Both of us are working with EP in Singapore.

Do like I said and create a Singapore will that assigns all assets to your executor to be treated that same way that your foreign will stipulates.

There is a possibility of being double tax on an asset, some countries have a tax agreement with each other to avoid that scenario. Again worth getting it sorted now while you still have a head that works. Its actually quite therapeutic, assume you will die in a 3 weeks, and you need to get everything in order.

You must be careful to consider the tax implications of each country. If you do not hold a lot of property here, you are normally not subject to 'inheritance' tax or 'death duties'. The OP I believe was Australian and they have the same thing - there is no inheritance tax there. But there are real implications as to how you draw your wills if you are a citizen of a country with inheritance tax, or if you are gifting or bequeathing to a citizen of such a country.
Just be aware of possible implications of the tax regime in this and your country of citizenship. Often it is a good idea to get a foreign tax specialist to advise. But usually your high commission, or embassy can put you onto an appropriate specialist