Last reviewed: 28 September 2026
When a person dies in Singapore without a will, their estate is distributed according to fixed rules in the Intestate Succession Act 1967. This interactive tool walks you through those rules and shows, on the information you enter, who would inherit and in what shares.
What the tool does
- Asks a few preliminary questions, including whether the Act applies at all.
- Asks which family members survived the deceased.
- Shows each person’s share as a percentage and a fraction, with the rule of the Act that applies.
- Flags situations that usually need legal advice, such as half-blood relatives or assets that may pass outside the estate.
The family details you enter into the tool stay in your browser and are not sent to us.
Do I need Letters of Administration?
Where there is no will, the person entitled to administer the estate usually applies to the Family Justice Courts for a Grant of Letters of Administration. The grant gives the administrator legal authority to collect the deceased’s assets, pay debts and expenses, and distribute what remains to the persons entitled under the Intestate Succession Act. Banks and other institutions generally ask to see the grant before releasing assets.
For smaller estates, the Public Trustee may administer estates whose value does not exceed S$50,000. Who should apply, what documents are needed and how long it takes all depend on the estate, so it is worth taking advice early.
Important: please read before using this tool
- This tool does not purport to give legal advice. It provides general information about Singapore law only, and nothing produced by it is legal advice or a legal opinion.
- Using this tool does not create a lawyer-client relationship between you and Fong & Fong LLC or any of its lawyers. A lawyer-client relationship arises only when we have agreed in writing to act for you.
- The results depend entirely on the information you enter. If the information is incomplete, inaccurate or does not reflect your full circumstances, the results will be wrong. The tool cannot take into account facts it does not ask about.
- This tool was developed with the assistance of software and artificial intelligence tools. Coding and AI can make mistakes. Although care has been taken in building and checking it, we do not guarantee that the tool or its results are accurate, complete or free of errors.
- The law may change, and the tool may not reflect changes made after it was last reviewed. Last reviewed: 28 September 2026.
- You should not act, or refrain from acting, on the basis of this tool. For legal advice on your situation, and for any legal services, please engage a lawyer.
- To the fullest extent permitted by law, Fong & Fong LLC and its lawyers accept no liability for any loss arising from your use of, or reliance on, this tool or its results.
- This disclaimer and your use of this tool are governed by the laws of Singapore.
Open the tool
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