Should I register my Will with the Singapore Wills Registry?

TLDR version: As it is not compulsory nor does it store the contents of the Will, whether you want to do it or not is entirely up to you. If you have concerns that your loved ones might not know of the existence of your Will, then yes, on the caveat that you update the information when needed. You should consider adding it in My Legacy Vault as well, which is free and allows you to upload the softcopy of the Will. For safekeeping of physical documents, you should consider professional custody services such as our gA-Vault.

The WILLS Registry, maintained by Singapore Academy of Law (SAL), is a confidential registry where testators (people making a will) or their solicitors can deposit information on WILLS.

They keep the following information under the WILLS Registry

1. Details of the person making the WILL i.e. testator.
2. Date of the WILL.
3. Details of the person who drew up the WILL.
4. Details of where the WILL is held.

They do NOT keep the actual WILL or a copy of the WILL in the registry which should be retained by yourself or your representative. Please also note that it is NOT compulsory to deposit your WILL record with the registry. The validity of your will does NOT depend on whether you have deposited your WILL record with the registry or not.

Deciding whether or not to register your Will with the Singapore Wills Registry is a personal choice. Here are some factors to consider:

• Depositing or updating a Will record costs SGD 50
• Similar to uploading your Will to My Legacy Vault, registering your Will is NOT compulsory, nor does it affect its legal validity. The service is simply a means to deposit a limited information about the existence of your Will. For example, if upon your death your family members / legal representatives do not know if you had one or where it is kept, the Singapore Wills Registry can be a good place to start looking for the records of one.
• The registry is confidential. You will need to submit a form to request for the search. The documents needed varies depending whether you are a law firm, a next-of-kin, a donee or deputy appointed by the Court, or have legitimate interest in the testator's will or estate. SAL will take around 3 - 5 working days to process your form.
• The accuracy and relevance of the information stored is entirely dependent on how up-to-date it is. For instance, if you deposited information for an old Will but fail to update it when a new Will is created (which revokes the earlier Will), the latest Will remains legally valid. However, the records on the old Will will still be searchable on the Singapore Wills Registry, which would be outdated.
• The original hard copy of the Will is still required for the Grant of Probate. If the original hard copy is lost or destroyed, any other version, such as a digital copy, would be subject to court approval.

In conclusion, while the Singapore Wills Registry serves well as an option if no one knows where your Will is or the existence of one. To the testator, you should deposit your Will record if that is your concern. Bear in mind that the information kept by the Singapore Wills Registry is limited (the contents of the Will will not be in the record), and you cannot dictate specifically "Trusted Persons" who can access the information. Nevertheless, if you do deposit your Will record, it is crucial to keep your information accurate and up to date. It should also be used as a complementary service, as you will still need to make separate arrangements to safekeep the original hard copies of your Will and other essential documents. For safekeeping of physical documents, you should consider professional custody services such as our gA-Vault.