Do you need a lawyer to write a will in Singapore?
The honest answer is no — but there are situations where a lawyer genuinely earns the fee. Here's how to tell which one you're in.
Leong Jun Jie · Founder & Estate Planner · View credentials →
Published 6 July 2026·Last updated 6 July 2026· 5 min read
No — you don't need a lawyer to write a legally valid will in Singapore. The government's own guidance says it plainly: it's not necessary for a lawyer to prepare your will. What the law does demand is that you follow the formal requirements of the Wills Act 1838 (formerly Cap. 352) exactly — and that part is unforgiving.
Key takeaways
- A lawyer is not required for a valid Singapore will — that's official MyLegacy@LifeSG guidance, not a loophole.
- The formalities are strict: hardcopy, signed in wet ink before two witnesses present at the same time — and witnesses must be 21 or older, and not beneficiaries or their spouses.
- A lawyer genuinely earns the fee when there are overseas assets, a business, a trust, or a family situation likely to end up challenged.
What makes a will legally valid in Singapore?
Under the Wills Act 1838 and MyLegacy's guidance, for your will to be valid you must:
- be 21 or older, of sound mind, and making it voluntarily
- have it in hardcopy — printed out or handwritten on paper
- sign it at the end, in wet ink, in the presence of two witnesses who are there at the same time
- have those two witnesses sign in your presence
- use witnesses who are 21 or older and not beneficiaries of the will (or spouses of beneficiaries)
Notice what's not on the list: a lawyer. A will you write at your kitchen table is exactly as valid as one from a Raffles Place firm — if you get every formality right. Most DIY wills that fail, fail on the formalities.
When does a lawyer genuinely matter?
There are situations where bespoke legal advice is worth every dollar:
- You have assets overseas — different countries have different succession rules, and the wills need to work together.
- You own a business — shares, partnerships, and succession need careful drafting.
- You want a trust — for example, to hold a young child's inheritance until a certain age.
- Your family situation makes a challenge likely — a blended family, an expected exclusion, or doubts someone might raise about capacity.
In those cases the cost of a full law-firm will is small against the cost of a will that fails or gets fought over.
What's the middle ground?
Between pure DIY and a full law-firm engagement sits the lawyer-endorsed hybrid: a consultant helps you think through and draft the will, and a lawyer reviews and endorses it before you sign.
| DIY or online template | Lawyer-endorsed service | Law firm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who drafts it | You | A consultant drafts with you; a lawyer reviews before signing | A lawyer |
| Legal advice included | None — you're on your own | Planning help, plus a legal check of the finished will | Full bespoke advice |
| Typical cost | Lowest | Mid-market | Highest — worth it for complex estates |
Raintree sits in that middle lane: we draft with you, and our partner law firm, Balkenende, Chew & Chia, endorses the will and witnesses the signing — S$388 for the Simple Will + LPA. Here's the process. And if your situation is one of the lawyer-matters cases above, we'll tell you before you pay us anything.
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