Can the beneficiary's spouse take away his/her share of the inheritance in the event of divorce?

In Singapore, in the event of a divorce, in addition to any alimony and/or child support to be paid, the family court also divides up the MATRIMONIAL ASSETS between the married couple. 

To make things clearer, non-matrimonial assets are not split by the divide, so don't worry about becoming too rich while you're single *chuckles*.

Whether an asset is considered a matrimonial asset depends on a few factors:

It is a matrimonial asset if:

  • If it is acquired by either or both after marriage (e.g. buying a house, or company shares, etc. after getting married)
  • For assets acquired BEFORE marriage, if it has been ordinarily used/enjoyed by either spouse/children residing together, be it as a place to stay, for recreation, etc. OR it has been substantially improved by both or the other spouse during the marriage.

HOWEVER, assets acquired by gift/inheritance are NOT matrimonial assets unless

  • the asset is a matrimonial home (i.e. where the family stays during the marriage)
  • the asset is substantially improved by both or the other spouse during the marriage.

So it depends!

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