Prepare to manage the estate

First steps before proceeding with the legal process of distribution

Overview

When someone passes away, managing their money, property, and assets — also known as their estate—may seem complicated.

What happens next depends on whether a will has been left behind.

A will is a legal document that states a person's wishes for their estate after they pass away. It also names an executor, the person responsible for carrying out these wishes. Some tasks can be managed only by the executor of the estate. A will documents:

how assets will be distributed
who will look after any children or dependants
who will carry out the will

Before you begin

You’ll have to apply for a grant to obtain legal rights to manage someone’s estate after they pass away.

Check if there’s a will

To know which grant to apply for, you’ll first have to check if the deceased left a will behind. You can:

go through their personal belongings
ask close family members or friends if they know where the will was kept
ask the lawyer who helped to draft the will
search for will information in the Wills Registry
engage lawyer to place a notice, which will be sent to all Law Society members

Find out what the next steps are if the deceased:

Identification documents to prepare

To prove your relationship to the deceased, government agencies, banks, and other organisations may ask for:
your NRIC or passport
the deceased's NRIC or passport
the deceased's death certificate
birth certificates
marriage certificate
divorce certificate

Checklist of assets

Managing someone's estate after they pass on can be complex. This checklist can serve as a general guide to manage the deceased's estate, whether or not a will was left behind. The items included in this list may be different for everyone.

Use this checklist to help you document the deceased's assets, money, and property, which forms the basis of a Schedule of Assets. The Schedule of Assets must be submitted to the Court after applying for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration.

Legal matters

Check if the deceased has left a will:

Yes, there’s a will left behind: Apply for Grant of Probate
No, there’s no will left behind: Apply for Grant of Letters of Administration

Financial accounts

CPF savings	Check if the person has made a CPF nomination. The CPF Board will inform the family or CPF nominees directly with instructions for CPF withdrawal.
Bank account	Bank name Account name Account number Type of account
Credit cards	Loans Investments Safe deposit boxes
Insurance	Insurance company name Type of policy Policy name Policy number Sum assured (if any) Nomination status
Loans	Lender name Type of loan
Investments	Type of investment Investment name Investment issuer Account number Broker
Safe deposit boxes	Company name Box number

Property and vehicles

Residential property

Property name
Address
Type of property
Form of ownership
Insurance coverage
Loan details

Commercial property

Property name
Address
Type of property
Form of ownership
Joint account owner (if any)
Insurance coverage
Loan details

Commercial vehicles

License plate number

Vehicle make and model
Insurance coverage
Loan details

Bills, payments, and taxes

Outstanding property tax or personal income tax	Type of tax Tax value
Outstanding bills	Type of bill, for example, medical bills, funeral expenses Value
Utilities	Type of utility, for example, electricity, gas, water) Utility company name Address of utility
Recurring payments	Subscription service name (for example, paid subscriptions for mobile, internet) Type of subscription

Digital assets

Email accounts	Account name User name
Social media accounts	Account name User name
Online business accounts	Account name User name
Devices	Type of device Device model

Others

Personal possessions	Name of item Description, for example, jewellery or photographs
Pets	Pet name Microchip ID
Other instructions	Name of item Description