Our Family Legacy Planning Practice provides an integrated suite of services covering Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA), the facilitation of Advance Medical Directives (AMD) and Advance Care Planning (ACP), Trust Advisory, Family Constitutions and Legacy Letters. These services are structured to operate cohesively to safeguard assets, preserve personal autonomy and ensure continuity of wealth and values across generations.
A core feature of the Practice is its Wealth & Legacy Screening (WLS), a structured and comprehensive review of a client’s existing legal and financial arrangements. WLS identifies estate gaps, conflicting nominations, liquidity concerns and succession vulnerabilities, allowing corrective measures to be implemented proactively. Last Chapter 360 (LC360) is the firm’s end-to-end legacy planning solution that integrates the department’s full range of services into a coordinated framework, enabling clients to address their estate planning needs in a structured, complete and forward-looking manner.
We also provide secure Will Custody services and end-to-end estate administration support, including applications for Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration, ensuring that succession processes are managed efficiently and in accordance with legal requirements.
Our WLS is a comprehensive approach towards succession planning that serves as a strategic “audit” of your current financial and legal position. We assist in identifying potential gaps, such as conflicting nominations or financial risks including mortgage and liquidity concerns, to ensure a seamless transfer of wealth to the next generation while reducing administrative complexities.
A Will is a key component of estate planning, setting out how your assets are to be distributed upon your passing and appointing trusted individuals to administer your estate. It is especially important for those with assets in Singapore, ensuring your wishes are upheld while minimising delays, disputes, and unnecessary complications.
An LPA allows an individual to appoint a trusted person, known as a Donee, to make decisions on their behalf should they lose mental capacity due to circumstances such as coma or dementia. Putting an LPA in place while one still has the cognitive capacity ensures that the chosen Donee, rather than a Court-appointed Deputy, is legally able to manage the individual’s personal matters relating to welfare, property and other affairs.
The Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2016 established the Professional Deputies and Donees (PDD) scheme to safeguard individuals such as elderly singles and childless couples who lack suitable family members or friends to act as their decision-makers. At Sim Mong Teck & Partners, our PDD Department is headed by Ms Jacintha Pillay who is a pioneer appointee of the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), a Division of the Ministry of Social and Family Development which supervises matters involving LPAs and deputyship.
An Advance Medical Directive (AMD) allows an individual to state their wish not to receive life-sustaining treatment in the event of terminal illness with no reasonable prospect of recovery. It takes effect when the patient loses consciousness or is incapable of exercising rational judgment, and the patient’s condition has been certified by a panel of three doctors. As such, the AMD helps to provide clarity and guidance to family members during difficult times.
Family Constitutions provide families with a clear framework to manage wealth, assets, and relationships across generations. They set out shared values, goals, and guidelines for decision-making, conflict resolution, succession, and inheritance. A well-crafted Family Constitution can help safeguard the family’s wealth, preserve the family legacy, and strengthen the family bond for years to come.
Legacy Letters offer a meaningful way to preserve your life story, values, and cherished memories, leaving a lasting gift for your loved ones. They allow you to share guidance, express love, and reflect on your life journey with a written record, creating a meaningful keepsake that offers comfort to loved ones that can be treasured for generations.
A Will is only as powerful as its accessibility. Our secure Will Custody Service ensures your original documents are protected from physical damage, loss, or unauthorized access, while remaining readily available to your executors when the time comes.
Our trust advisory work focuses on structuring and establishing trusts in collaboration with trust companies to support long-term wealth preservation and succession planning. We advise individuals and families on trust frameworks that align with personal objectives, family governance, and cross-border considerations, and provide practical guidance through a comprehensive review of trust instruments, including trust deeds and letters of wishes, to ensure the settlor’s intentions are clearly and accurately reflected.
Legacy planning is not a destination; it is a journey. LC360 is our comprehensive, evolving framework that ensures every facet of your transition is managed. This 360-degree approach covers everything from your Will, custodian services, asset list and even annual review to ensure that needs and wishes are up to date.
The administration of an estate requires careful navigation of legal, procedural and fiduciary obligations. Where a valid Will exists, a Grant of Probate must be obtained to formally authorise the appointed Executor to administer and distribute the estate in accordance with the deceased’s wishes. In the absence of a Will, an application for Letters of Administration is required to appoint a suitable administrator to manage the estate under the rules of intestacy.
The Family Legacy Planning Practice provides comprehensive guidance throughout this process — from the preparation and filing of court documentation to liaising with financial institutions, asset custodians and relevant authorities. Executors and administrators are advised on their statutory duties and responsibilities to ensure proper asset collection, debt settlement and distribution.
