Distribution of your estate (“estate” means the money and property you own at your death) means how your assets will be distributed according to your wishes as you have stated in your Will.

Your Will is a set of instructions which will set out who will receive your assets. On your death, your executor will refer to your Will and distribute your estate according to it.

Please note that this does not include your moneys under EPF or your insurance policies as these are governed under a different set of laws. Your EPF moneys and insurance policies will be paid out to whoever you have nominated to receive those moneys.

This Will template is designed for those of you whose wishes are simple. If your situation is more complex (e.g., you wish to disinherit relatives or you have significant assets), creating a Will online may not be suitable for you and you should seek legal advice.

A beneficiary is a person you have named in your Will who will enjoy the benefits from your estate.

A beneficiary can be a minor (children under 18 years old), however, any assets gifted to minors will be held by the trustee (who is also the executor of your Will) on the minors’ behalf until they reach 18 years old.

In this Will template, the whole of your estate will be gifted to one beneficiary. If this beneficiary dies before you, you have the option of then leaving your estate to one other beneficiary or to multiple beneficiaries who will share equally. For example, supposing you want to leave everything to your spouse and if your spouse dies before you, you want your children to benefit from your estate equally, you can use this template to create your Will.

An executor is the person you have chosen to carry out your Will and who is responsible for administering your estate.

An executor must be least 18 years old and can be a beneficiary under the Will.

His duties will include locating your Will, applying for Grant of Probate, paying off your debts and distributing your estate to your beneficiaries according to the terms of your Will.

The executor will also take the role of trustee and will hold your assets on trust for the beneficiaries.

You should choose someone who you trust and who is capable of handling financial matters as your executor. You should inform the person who you want to appoint as your executor and obtain his consent. Doing so can help you avoid a situation where he is unwilling to act as the executor of your Will.

As a safeguard, our Online Will Writing Tool makes it mandatory for you to appoint an alternate executor. This is because, if your main executor refuses or is unable to fulfill his role, your alternate executor will serve as the executor of your Will.

After your death, your estate will be gifted to your beneficiary.

If your beneficiary dies before you, we have created alternative provisions in your Will which will take effect. Supposing your beneficiary dies before you, you have a choice to leave your estate to one person or to multiple people who will share equally.

For example, you may wish to leave your estate to your spouse. If your spouse dies before you, your estate will go to your child or if you have more than one child, to your children equally.

A ‘simultaneous death clause’ is something you should consider when estate planning. It is also known as a ‘titanic clause’ which functions as a catch-all in the unlikely but possible event that a whole family perishes in a disaster together.

In the event such a scenario befalls an entire family, having a ‘simultaneous death clause’ will make estate administration easier. This clause ensures that you have considered all possible scenarios and will reflect what you truly intended and helps to avoid the risk of your assets going to an unintended party.

You can choose to make specific gifts to specific individuals. After your death, your executor will distribute these assets to your specific beneficiaries.

Once all specific gifts are made, your executor will distribute the rest of your estate according to the ‘Residuary Clause’ in your Will.

For example, you may wish to leave your jewelry to your daughter, your house to your son, your vehicles to a friend, and give the rest of your estate to your spouse. Once the specific gifts are made, your spouse will take the remainder of your estate.

Your residual estate is anything left in your estate once all specific gifts have been distributed (i.e., the remainder of your estate).

In this Will template, you have the option of leaving the rest of your estate either to an individual or an entity (for example, a charitable organisation).

Having a ‘residual clause’ is important as it avoids a situation where your residuary estate is distributed according to the law of intestacy. When a person dies without making a Will, he has died intestate. When a person dies intestate, his estate will be distributed in a standard way as provided by the law. Having a ‘residuary clause’ will help you ensure that your estate goes to your intended beneficiary.