Category: Family & Matrimonial
Writing a Will in Singapore: The Document That Takes Over Where the Others Stop
How to write a valid will in Singapore: execution rules, what revokes a will, intestacy risks, and why CPF needs its own nomination.
When a Marriage of Convenience Still Counts: The Court of Appeal on Pre-2016 Marriages
Mr Cheng died on 8 January 2012 without a will. His family learnt that he had a wife only when the Insolvency and Public Trustee’s Office wrote to them on 2 March 2012 about her share of his CPF moneys. They had never met her. In 2024 they learnt that she had been deported in…
The Fifth Will: What One Family’s Dispute Teaches About Making a Will
A 92-year-old man wants to sell one of his eleven properties. His wife co-owns it, but she has dementia, and their daughter holds the authority to act for her. The daughter says no. Within weeks, lawyers are writing to lawyers, a business meeting turns sour in front of the accountants, and the old man signs…
AI and the Singapore Lawyer 8: AI in Family Practice—Supporting the Human Dimension
In the emotionally charged arena of family law, AI acts as a high-efficiency drafting and analytical clerk, reclaiming the mental bandwidth practitioners require to provide empathetic, high-stakes counsel.
![When Is a “Threat” Considered “Family Violence”? Part 1: PPO Thresholds in Singapore Explained in YBA v YBB [2026] SGFC 44](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxNTM2IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjEwMjQiIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxNTM2IDEwMjQiPjxyZWN0IHdpZHRoPSIxMDAlIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjEwMCUiIHN0eWxlPSJmaWxsOiNjZmQ0ZGI7ZmlsbC1vcGFjaXR5OiAwLjE7Ii8+PC9zdmc+)
When Is a “Threat” Considered “Family Violence”? Part 1: PPO Thresholds in Singapore Explained in YBA v YBB [2026] SGFC 44
Individuals who face family violence may rely on a personal protection order (“PPO”) to shield them from further harm. In order to obtain a PPO, the applicant must prove that the perpetrator has committed or is likely to commit family violence against the applicant, and that the PPO is necessary for the applicant’s protection or…
The Global Jury on No-Contest Clauses: How Other Legal Systems Handle Family Inheritance Disputes
No-contest clauses lack binding local precedent in Singapore — no court has yet ruled on their enforceability. This article surveys how Commonwealth countries and the US approach them, and what the global picture means for Singapore testators.
Ring-Fencing Inheritances: Keeping Your Child’s Legacy Safe from Matrimonial Claims
Under Section 112 of the Women’s Charter, inherited assets can become matrimonial property if not carefully protected. This article examines how co-mingling and other triggers erode the protection, and the trust structures and agreements that preserve it.
How to Evict a Family Member Professionally and Legally in Singapore
Familial relationships do not confer property rights under Singapore law. Occupants without formal agreements are licensees — and evicting them requires a proper legal process. Self-help measures reliably create more litigation than they resolve.
Beyond the LPA: Protecting Vulnerable Elderly Parents from Undue Influence
An LPA protects against incapacity — not against a family member who controls access and information. This article examines the doctrine of undue influence, what courts require to establish it, and proactive measures to protect elderly parents.
The Power and Pitfalls of No-Contest Clauses in Singapore Wills
No-contest clauses lack clear enforceability under Singapore law — no court has yet ruled on them definitively. This article examines what they can and cannot do, and the complementary measures that provide more robust estate planning protection.
Before You Go to Court: Mediation as the Better Way to Resolve Family Disputes
One Singapore family accumulated ten legal proceedings. This article examines why mediation — with its 67% settlement rate at the Singapore Mediation Centre — is so often the better path in family disputes, and how it works in practice.
When Family Meets the Law
One Singapore family. Ten legal proceedings. A Straits Times report prompted our directors to examine every legal framework that could have prevented it. This is the introduction to the seven-part When Family Meets the Law series.
![When Is a “Threat” Considered “Family Violence”? Part 1: PPO Thresholds in Singapore Explained in YBA v YBB [2026] SGFC 44](https://otp.sg/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ppo.png)
