Family & Estate Administration
Letters of Administration & Grant of Probate, Handled with Care
Fixed, transparent fees and patient guidance through the Family Justice Courts — so a grieving family can unfreeze accounts and transfer property without working through the paperwork alone.
When someone dies in Singapore, their bank accounts, CDP holdings and property cannot be dealt with until a court has appointed someone with the legal authority to deal with them. That authority takes one of two forms: a Grant of Probate, where the deceased left a valid will, or Letters of Administration, where they did not. Until one of the two is in hand, the family has no standing to act — which is why so many people first hear these words from a bank officer, at the worst possible moment.
Both applications go to the Family Justice Courts, and both turn on documents: the death certificate, a schedule of the estate's assets, the will if there is one, consents or renunciations from relatives who have an equal or prior right to apply, and — where a beneficiary is under 21 — arrangements for sureties or an application to dispense with them. WeCare prepares that paperwork, explains plainly what each document is for before you sign it, and coordinates the filing. Where a matter is contested, or where the court directs that a solicitor conduct it, we tell you at the assessment rather than partway through.
Which court order do you need?
Until one of these two is granted, no bank, insurer or land authority can release the deceased's assets to the family. Which one applies turns on a single question: was there a valid will?
Grant of Probate
Applies where the deceased left a valid will. The executor named in that will asks the Family Justice Courts to confirm it, and to confirm their authority to carry out its instructions.
- Confirms the executor's legal authority to act for the estate
- The estate is distributed as the will directs
- Usually the shorter route, because the will has already settled who inherits
Letters of Administration
Applies where there is no valid will, or where the will names no executor able and willing to act. The next of kin asks the court to appoint them administrator of the estate.
- The Intestate Succession Act 1967 fixes who inherits, and in what order
- Relatives with an equal right to apply must consent or renounce
- A beneficiary under 21 usually means sureties, or an application to dispense with them
Not sure which side you are on? That is the most common way people arrive at this page. Start with the free assessment and we will establish it for you.
Why clients choose WeCare for this
A fixed fee quoted before you commit, with the court disbursements listed separately so nothing arrives as a surprise later.
Patience with the parts nobody warns you about — chasing a bank for a statement, or getting a sibling overseas to sign a consent.
Plain language for every document you are asked to sign, so you know what you are swearing to before you swear to it.
An honest read on complexity up front: if your matter needs a solicitor on record, you hear it from us at the assessment.
Who this is for
If none of these sound like your situation, say so — a different route probably fits better.
For the spouse, child or parent of someone who died without a will, who has been told they need Letters of Administration before a bank, insurer or HDB will discuss the estate with them.
For someone appointed in a valid will who now has to obtain a Grant of Probate before they can carry out the instructions they agreed to follow.
For estates where a child inherits, which brings in the court's sureties requirement — and the separate application to dispense with it.
For anyone who has been quoted more than they can pay while the very estate that would pay for it is still frozen. Ask about instalments before you give up on the application.
How it works
Four stages, from first conversation to resolution.
We establish whether there is a valid will, who has the right to apply, and which of the two court orders your situation actually needs — before any fee is discussed.
We collect the death certificate, the will and the asset details, prepare the schedule of assets and the supporting affidavit, and identify whose consent or renunciation is required.
We coordinate the filing with the Family Justice Courts and work through the queries that come back — the stage where most applications filed without help stall.
Once the grant is extracted we help you present it to the banks, CDP, the insurers and HDB or the Singapore Land Authority, so the estate can finally be distributed.
Is your case simple or complex?
Based on objective facts about your situation, not on what you are charged. Read both and see which describes you.
Straightforward
One clear applicant with no competing claim, beneficiaries who are all adults, and a straightforward estate — bank accounts, a CPF nomination already in place, and at most one Singapore property.
Needs closer handling
A beneficiary under 21, a will that is missing or disputed, relatives who will not consent or renounce, assets held outside Singapore, a business interest in the estate, or a co-owned property where the survivorship position is unclear.
Do you need a lawyer?
No — legal representation is not required. An executor or next of kin may apply in person, and WeCare provides the documentation and administrative support that route needs. Two things change that answer: a contested estate, and a matter the court directs be conducted by a solicitor. We flag either at the assessment stage and work alongside external counsel rather than carrying on regardless.
Why families choose WeCare
Accessible care. Unbeatable value.
Losing someone is draining enough without a legal bill you cannot see the bottom of. Our fees for estate matters are fixed, quoted up front, and covered by the same three commitments as everything else we do.
Lowest Price Guaranteed
We offer highly competitive, transparent rates across all our service pillars. If you receive a comparable quote from another advisory firm in Singapore, we guarantee to match or beat it.
Flexible Instalment Plans
Managing cash flow is critical during financial recovery. We offer customizable, interest-free instalment plans, allowing you to pay over time without added financial stress or worry.
Fully Negotiable Fees
Every individual and corporate situation is unique. We are open to discussing and tailoring our service fees directly based on the specific complexity of your case and your current financial capacity.
Had a wonderful experience with Donny. A person with knowledge who helped me step by step with patience. Going through my tough time, his help made the process smooth. Will definitely recommend Donny to anyone who needs his help. Thanks a million bro.
Senior Consultant Donny is very very kind, knowledgeable and sincere — he is like the light in the tunnel. He provides very genuine advice, thinking in your shoes. Someone who truly cares for you.
Questions people ask us
It comes down to one question, and it is the first thing we check for you. If the deceased left a valid will, the executor named in it applies for a Grant of Probate — the court confirms the will and the executor's authority to carry it out. If there is no will, or the will names no executor who is able and willing to act, the next of kin applies for Letters of Administration instead, and the estate is distributed according to the Intestate Succession Act 1967 rather than to anyone's wishes. If you do not know whether a will exists, that is genuinely common and not something to feel bad about. Tell us what you have found so far and we will work out which route applies before you spend anything.
This is the part families find hardest to hear, so we would rather you heard it early and clearly than after months of assuming otherwise. Where there is no valid will, you do not choose who inherits and neither do we — the Intestate Succession Act 1967 sets a fixed order of entitlement based on who survives the deceased, working outward from spouse and children to parents, siblings and beyond. It applies regardless of who did the caring, who paid the bills, or what everyone understood the intention to be. Muslim estates follow a different route: distribution is governed by Muslim inheritance law, and an inheritance certificate is obtained from the Syariah Court before the estate is distributed, though an application to the Family Justice Courts for the authority to administer is still needed. We will map your family onto the correct framework at the assessment and tell you plainly what it produces.
We will not print a number on a page and let you build plans around it, because the honest answer is that three things drive the timeline and WeCare controls only one of them. The first is how complete the paperwork is when it is filed — that part is ours, and it is where careful preparation earns its keep, because an application that draws court queries can add weeks or months. The second is other people: banks confirming balances, an insurer confirming a policy, a sibling overseas returning a signed consent. The third is the court's own queries and, where sureties are involved, the additional application. A straightforward estate with one cooperative applicant moves considerably faster than a contested one. At your assessment we will tell you which of those three is likely to be your bottleneck, and what can be started now to shorten it.
Yes, and it is worth knowing before you begin rather than discovering it at the filing stage. Where a beneficiary has not reached 21, the court is protecting a child's share against an administrator who mismanages or misappropriates it, and it does that by requiring sureties — people who guarantee the administrator's conduct to the value of the estate. Finding two people willing and financially able to stand as sureties is a real obstacle for many families, which is why an application to dispense with them exists. We prepare that application, set out the grounds honestly, and tell you at the outset how strong we think it is rather than after you have paid for it.
You are describing the reason we offer instalments, and you are far from the first person to raise it. It is a genuine trap: the court order that would release the estate costs money, and the money is inside the estate. Our fee for this work is fixed and quoted before you commit, the court disbursements are listed separately, and the fee can be spread over interest-free instalments so the application is not held up waiting for funds. If you have a written quote from another firm, bring it — our price-match guarantee applies to estate matters the same as to everything else we do.
Take the first step
A free, confidential assessment of where you stand — no obligation, and no judgement. We will tell you honestly if this is not the right route for you.
Important: WeCare Consultancy Pte. Ltd. is a consultancy and is not a law firm. The information on this page describes Singapore statutory processes in general terms and is not legal advice, nor a determination of your eligibility for any scheme. Where a matter requires legal representation, we will say so and help you engage an appropriately qualified professional. Statutory references and monetary thresholds are current as at August 2026 and may change. Please speak to us about your own circumstances before acting on anything here.