Written Reply by Minister of Law Mr Edwin Tong SC on Data on Intestate Deaths among Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents over Past Five Years and AI Tools Integration to Improve Will-Writing Services Accessibility

7 July 2026 Posted in Parliamentary speeches and responses

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song (Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC)

Question
To ask the Minister for Law (a) whether the Ministry has data on the number of Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents who have died intestate in each of the last five years and if so, what is the number; and (b) whether the Ministry plans to integrate artificial intelligence tools to enhance the accessibility of will-writing services.

Written Answer:

1. The Ministry does not track the number of Singapore citizens and permanent residents who pass away intestate.

2. We encourage members of the public to make a will. Doing so provides greater assurance that their affairs will be taken care of in accordance with their wishes after their passing. A person who is at least 21 years old and of sound mind may write his or her own will, or engage a third party, to assist with its preparation.

3. There are artificial intelligence (AI) tools today that might be used to assist in preparing a will. However, the public must exercise care in making their wills, whether using AI or not, and should seek professional legal advice.

4. The Government has taken steps to make information on wills and probate more accessible. For example, we recently launched a Will Learning Tool on MyLegacy@LifeSG to help members of the public better understand the considerations in making a will before seeking legal advice. The tool generates a Will Preparation Template that can be used as a reference for legacy planning, which we hope will encourage more to go on to make wills. To be clear, this should be used as an education tool, and it is not a substitute for legal advice.

5. We will continue to improve legacy planning resources, including information on the responsible use of AI in will-making, to ensure that they remain relevant and useful, and encourage the making of wills.

Last updated on 7 July 2026