The Split · a 60-second test

Think you know who'd inherit everything you own?

100%50%

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20%

Everything to your spouse? Half to your children? A share for your parents?

If you never make a will, Singapore law splits everything you own with a fixed formula – it doesn't ask what you'd have chosen.

5 quick questions About a minute Free · no sign-up

Based on the Intestate Succession Act 1967 · anonymous – no email, no personal details.

First, a quick check – are you Muslim?

Inheritance for Muslims in Singapore follows Syariah law, which this game doesn't cover, so we check up front.

What's your relationship status?

Do you have children?

Count children born within marriage and any you've legally adopted, whatever their age. Stepchildren and children born outside marriage aren't automatically included under the law.

Are either of your parents still living?

Do you have any living brothers or sisters?

Your call

Split everything you own

Give each person the share you think the law would give them. You have 100% of everything you own to hand out.

Left to give100%

Trust your gut – you'll see the law's answer next.

Your call

How much would they get?

50%

NothingEverything

Your result card

Tap the card to share it, or use the buttons below.

You've just seen the law's plan. Make your own.

A will puts the split in your hands – you decide who inherits, and how much. It takes about an hour with MakeGoodwill.

Create your will

SGD 179, with your first year of unlimited updates included. Print and sign with two independent witnesses. You can create your will from age 21.

Good to know

Some big assets sit outside this split. Your CPF passes by CPF nomination – without one, the Public Trustee distributes it under intestacy rules, for a fee. Insurance with a nominee goes to the nominee, and property or joint bank accounts held as joint tenants usually pass to the surviving owner.

This is general information about the Intestate Succession Act 1967, not legal advice. If your permanent home is outside Singapore, different rules may apply to some of your assets. MakeGoodwill helps you create a legally valid will, guided step by step.

Muslim estates follow a different set of rules

In Singapore, inheritance for Muslims is governed by Syariah law and the Administration of Muslim Law Act 1966, with a fixed faraid distribution administered by the Syariah Court. Up to one third can be left by will, known as wasiat.

This game covers the Intestate Succession Act, which doesn't apply to you – so we won't show a split that could mislead you. For a plan that fits your situation, we'd recommend a lawyer who specialises in Muslim estate planning.

Checking the Intestate Succession Act…

What is The Split?

The Split is a free intestacy calculator for Singapore. It shows you how the Intestate Succession Act 1967 – the law that applies when someone passes away without a will – would share out everything you own, based on your family situation. First you split your estate the way you think the law works; then you see the law's actual answer next to yours.

It takes about a minute, it's anonymous, and there's nothing to sign up for. The rules behind it are the same fixed formula the law applies, so the result isn't a prediction – it's the law's standing plan for your estate.

Not everything follows the formula

The intestacy rules govern your estate, but a few big assets follow their own path. Your CPF savings pass by CPF nomination – without one, the Public Trustee distributes them under the intestacy rules, for a fee. Insurance with a named nominee goes to the nominee. And property or bank accounts held as joint tenants usually pass to the surviving owner, whatever the formula says. A complete plan checks all of them.

Who manages your estate when there's no will

With a will, the executor you chose carries out your wishes. Without one, a close family member has to apply to the court for Letters of Administration to become your estate's administrator – a slower, more involved process, especially where a beneficiary is under 21. For small estates under SGD 50,000, your family may be able to apply to the Public Trustee's Office instead, without going to court. Our guide to probate explains how the two paths differ.

What a will lets you decide

The intestacy formula recognises only a legal spouse and blood relatives, in a fixed order. A will replaces the formula with your own wishes: who inherits and how much, guardians for your children, an executor you trust, and a share for the people and causes the formula leaves out – an unmarried partner, stepchildren, close friends, or a charity. With MakeGoodwill it takes about an hour online, then print and sign with two independent witnesses. Create your will whenever you're ready.

From the Learning centre What happens if you pass away without a will in Singapore? Read the full guide →

From the Learning centre How to write a will in Singapore – the ultimate guide Read the full guide →

The full rules – play the game first

How the Intestate Succession Act 1967 shares out an estate when there's no will:

Your family situation	How the law splits your estate
Spouse, no children, no surviving parents	Spouse 100%
Spouse and children	Spouse 50%, children 50% shared equally – parents receive nothing
Spouse and parents, no children	Spouse 50%, parents 50%
Children, no spouse	Children 100%, shared equally
Parents, no spouse or children	Parents 100%
Siblings only	Siblings 100%, shared equally
Grandparents only	Grandparents 100%
Aunts and uncles only	Aunts and uncles 100%
No surviving relatives	Everything goes to the State

Each class is checked in order – the first class with a surviving member takes that share, and everyone further down receives nothing. If a child passes away before you leaving children of their own, those grandchildren step into their parent's share. Unmarried partners, stepchildren you haven't legally adopted, friends, and charities aren't recognised by the formula at all.

This is general information about the Intestate Succession Act 1967, not legal advice. Inheritance for Muslims in Singapore follows Syariah law instead – see the FAQ below.

Frequently asked questions

Intestacy is what happens when someone passes away without a valid will. In Singapore, the estate is then shared out under a fixed formula in the Intestate Succession Act 1967 – the law decides who inherits and how much, rather than the person it belonged to.

It depends on which family members survive you. Broadly, the Intestate Succession Act looks first to your spouse and children, then to your parents, then siblings, then grandparents, then aunts and uncles. If no one in any of those classes survives you, your estate goes to the State. The Split shows you the exact shares for your own family situation.

No. The Intestate Succession Act only recognises a legal spouse. A partner you're not married to – however long you've been together – receives nothing under the intestacy rules. If you want your partner to inherit, you need to name them in your will.

Not automatically. Under the Intestate Succession Act, children means children born within marriage and any you've legally adopted, whatever their age. Stepchildren you haven't adopted aren't automatically included – naming them in your will is how you provide for them.

Your CPF savings sit outside your estate, so neither a will nor the intestacy formula covers them directly. They go to whoever you've named in your CPF nomination. Without a nomination, the Public Trustee distributes them under the intestacy rules, for a fee.

No. Inheritance for Muslims in Singapore is governed by Syariah law and the Administration of Muslim Law Act 1966, with a fixed faraid distribution administered by the Syariah Court. The Split covers the Intestate Succession Act, which doesn't apply to Muslim estates, so it won't show you a split that could mislead you. For a plan that fits your situation, we'd recommend a lawyer who specialises in Muslim estate planning.

Yes. The Split is free and anonymous – no email address, no account, no personal details. It asks five quick questions about your family situation and takes about a minute.

Create your will. A will replaces the intestacy formula with your own wishes: you decide who inherits and how much, appoint guardians for your children, and choose an executor you trust. With MakeGoodwill it takes about an hour online – then print and sign with two independent witnesses to make it legally valid.