Courts. This legal document expresses the deceased person wishes as to how their property is to be distributed and names an executor who administers the deceased's estate and handles the disposal of their assets and debts. The executor gets this authority by applying to court to obtain a legal document called Grant of Probate. If a deceased person did not make a Will, then the family members need to apply for Letter of Administration. The person who will a apply is commonly but not always the surviving spouse or eldest child of the deceased. In this case, the assets are distributed according to the Intestate Succession Act. Adoption Adoption is a legal process, governed under the Adoption of Children Act (ACA) and the Family Court of Singapore is the authority that decides on adoption applications. The Singapore Adoption of Children Act states: The parents must be older than 25 years old and at least 21 years older than the adoption child. Adoptive parent must not be more than 50 years older than the child. Parent should have sound mental health. The child must be under 21 years old and a Singapore resident. A foreign-born child may be adopted, but will need to get a Dependant’s Pass from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). Both married couples and singles can adopt a child. However, a single male is not allowed to adopt a girl unless special circumstances exist. Parents must be Singaporean citizens or permanent residents, or hold passes which the Family Justice Courts deem fit to qualify them as residents in Singapore. These rules may be waived if special circumstances justify the adoption. References External links Adoption - Ministry of Social and Family Development