本篇是2025/2/13(四)訪談新加坡家事律師鍾岳恩(Yue-En Chong)的簡單紀要。鍾律師與我是以英文文稿聯繫，由我翻譯為中文稿，兩邊內容如有差異，以英文稿內容優先。
鍾律師與我都是國際獨立律師聯盟WILL的成員，鍾律師是家事法組的主席。鍾律師在新加坡從是家事法律師已經有15年的經驗(鍾律師的領英帳戶連結：https://www.linkedin.com/in/yueen/)，此次特別以大S驟逝所引發的子女監護權與遺產爭議，從新加坡法律的觀點，來就教鍾律師，鍾律師年輕時也追過流星花園的劇，沒想到前兩周竟如此突然…。
我假設以大S(Barbie Hsu)為新加坡國民作為前提，請教以下問題：
1. If Barbie Hsu (大 S) suddenly passed away, and she was a Singaporean citizen, would the custody of her two children automatically go to her ex-husband? Would he also obtain the right to manage and dispose of two-thirds of her estate?如果大S突然去世，並且她是新加坡公民，她的兩個孩子的監護權會自動轉移給她的前夫嗎？他是否也會獲得管理及處分她三分之二遺產的權利？
ANS: If no relatives living with Barbie Hsu’s two children contest the custody, then her ex-husband would obtain custody over the two children. This is due to the fact that her ex-husband is their biological father and because the children were not legally adopted by her current husband.
With regard to who will obtain the right to manage her estate, assuming she did not make a will, her current husband would have first right to become her administrator. Her current husband would be entitled to 50% of her estate while the remaining 50% of her estate will be divided equally between her two children. In the above, it is possible for the ex-husband to contest the current husband’s application to become her administrator and he can ask to be a co-administrator of the estate.
回答：
如果與大S的兩個孩子同住的親屬沒有對監護權提出異議，那麼她的前夫將獲得孩子們的監護權。這是因為他是孩子們的生父，且她現任丈夫并没有收養她的两名子女。
至於誰會取得管理她遺產的權利，假設她沒有立下遺囑，她現任丈夫將優先成為她的遺產管理人。他有權獲得她遺產的50%，而剩下的50%將平均分配给她的两名子女。在這種情況下，她的前夫有可能對現任丈夫申請成為管理人的要求提出異議，並要求成為該遺產的共同管理人。
2. If Barbie Hsu’s relatives, such as her mother (S Mom), her sister (Little S), or her widower Koo Jun-Yup, intend to seek custody of the children, what legal avenues can they pursue?如果大S的親屬，例如她的母親（S 媽）、她的妹妹（小S），或她的鰥夫具俊燁，打算爭取孩子的監護權，他們可以採取哪些法律途徑？
ANS: Under Section 17(1) of the Singapore Court of Judicature Act, these relatives can apply for the Court to take the children as wards of the court. What this means is that the Court will have to consider if the parent the children are living with is unfit to take care of them. If the parent is found to be unfit by the Court, then for the safety of the children, the Court will need to take in the children and make a decision on who should have custody of the children.
In this case, the relatives will have to argue that the ex-husband is unfit to look after the children and that they themselves are fit to look after the children. For example, if the widower Koo Jun-Yup wants to take sole custody of the children, then he has to apply to Court and show that the ex-husband is unfit first. As he is the stepfather of the children and not their biological father, he does not immediately have the right to become the children’s guardian. Even so, it is possible that the Court might order both the stepfather and biological father to have shared custody, care and control, and financial management over the children.
As for the children’s inheritance, the children’s guardian(s) will have to coordinate with the administrator of the estate in order to handle it as the administrator of Barbie Hsu’s estate would be holding it on trust for the children. Nonetheless, it is possible for the administrator to pass the inheritance to the children directly
回答：
根據新加坡《法院组织法》第17(1)條，這些親屬可以向法院申請將孩子置於法院監護之下。也就是說，法院將必須考慮與孩子同住的家長是否適合照顧她的两名子女。如果法院認定該家長不適合，為了孩子的安全，便需接管孩子並作出誰應獲得監護權的決定。
在這種情況下，親屬們必須主張前夫不適合照顧孩子，而他們自己則有能力照顧孩子。例如，如果鰥夫顧俊燁希望獨自獲得孩子的監護權，他必須向法院申請，並首先證明前夫不適合照顧孩子。由於他只是孩子的繼父，而非生父，因此他並不立即享有成為她的两名子女監護人的權利。即便如此，法院仍可能命令繼父與生父共同共享孩子的監護、照料、控制及財務管理權。
至於孩子的遺產，孩子的監護人需要與遺產管理人協調處理，為她的两名子女著想，大S的遺產管理人有可能以信託方式持有該遺產。不過，管理人也有可能直接將遺產轉交給孩子。
3.If Barbie Hsu had time to plan in advance, how could she have ensured better care for her minor children? 如果大S有足夠時間提前規劃，她可以如何確保她未成年子女得到更好的照顧？
ANS: Unlike Taiwan’s Civil Code Article 1093, which states that “the last surviving parent exercising parental rights and duties over a minor child may appoint a guardian through a will,” Singapore’s family law allows a parent to pre-designate a guardian in their will while the other parent is still alive. This is called a testamentary guardian.
If Barbie Hsu had made Koo Jun-Yup the testamentary guardian of her two children under her will, then upon her death, Koo Jun-Yup would have the standing in Court to question the biological father’s fitness to be the guardian of the two children. The Singapore Court is likely to direct the parties to mediation. During the Court mediation, Koo Jun-Yup and the biological father can negotiate on the specific guardianship arrangements, such as the management of the children’s finances and where they should stay.
Barbie Hsu could have also chosen an executor and trustee for her will who would play a crucial role in overseeing the management and disposition of her estate. The executor has the role of disposing of the estate while the trustee manages it. While these are two different roles, the same person can be appointed to act in both positions.
回答：台灣民法第1093规定最後行使、負擔對於未成年子女之權利、義務之父或母，得以遺囑指定監護人。這與新加坡的家事法截然不同。新加坡家庭法允許家長在另一方家長仍健在時，在遺囑中預先指定監護人，這就是一般俗稱的遺囑指定監護人。
如果大S有在遺囑中指定具俊曄成為她兩名字女的遺囑指定監護人，那麼在她去世後，具俊曄便有資格向法院質疑生父是否適合成為孩子的監護人。新加坡法院很可能會指示雙方進行調解。在法院調解過程中，具俊曄與生父可以就具體的監護安排進行協商，例如如何管理孩子的財務及他們的住宿安排。
此外，大S還可以選擇一位遺囑執行人與委託人，這兩個角色在監督她遺產的管理和處置上均扮演關鍵角色。遺囑執行人負責處置遺產，而委託人則負責管理遺產。儘管這兩個角色有所不同，但一人能同時擔任這兩個職位。
4.What are the general requirements for making a will in Singapore?新加坡製作一份合法遺囑的要件有哪些？
ANS: In terms of objective criteria, both handwritten and dictated wills are legally valid without requiring notarisation. However, Singapore law requires the presence of two adult witnesses above twenty-one years old who have no interest in the will to witness its execution. The two adult witnesses cannot be beneficiaries to the will or the spouses of beneficiaries.
In terms of issues that may invalidate a will, the three main grounds that people can contest a will are as follows:
- The testator’s lack of capacity: For example, one potential concern is when stroke or dementia causes the testator to be unable to mentally understand the legal consequence of making a will
- The testator is under duress: For example, when the testator makes the will under pressure. The children of the testator might coerce the testator by telling them that they will not take care of them if they are not given a favourable distribution under the will.
- The testator is under undue influence: For example, when a third party influences and poisons the testator’s perspective of their family and leads them to draft a will that does not benefit the testator’s family.
在新加坡訂立遺囑的一般要求如下：
根據客觀標準，無論是親筆書寫的遺囑還是口述的遺囑，都具有法律效力，且無需進行公證。然而，新加坡法律要求在訂立遺囑時必須有兩位年滿21歲以上、與遺囑利益關係無關的成年人在場見證。遺囑的受益人或受益人的配偶不能成為在場見證人。
至於可能使遺囑無效的問題，繼承人可以基於以下三點對於立遺囑之人所立下的遺囑提出異議：
- 立遺囑之人在缺乏心智能力或心智能力不健全的情況下立遺囑：例如，若遺囑人因中風或失智症等原因而無法真正的理解立遺囑的法律效應，即可能被認定為在立遺囑時缺乏心智慧力或心智慧力不健全。
- 立遺囑之人在受到脅迫的情況下立遺囑：立遺囑之人遭受子女脅迫。例如：如果不按其要求分配遺產, 該子女就不繼續照顧立遺囑之人。這樣的情況下，繼承人可以向法院對於立遺囑之人所立下的遺囑提出異議。
- 遺囑人受到不正當影響：例如，若協力廠商施加影響，扭曲了遺囑人對其家庭的看法，從而使遺囑內容對立遺囑之人的家庭不利，此情形也可能導致遺囑被質疑其有效性。
5. If an estate spans multiple countries, considering that many Singapore residents own assets abroad, particularly in Malaysia and Indonesia, does a Singaporean will also cover overseas assets?如果一個遺產涉及多個國家，考慮到許多新加坡居民在國外（特別是在馬來西亞和印尼）擁有資產，新加坡的遺囑是否也能涵蓋海外資產？
ANS: Yes, a Singaporean will can also cover overseas assets. In the alternative, it is also possible to create separate wills in each country you have assets in provided that each of these countries legally recognise other wills in other jurisdictions. However, when you make multiple wills for different jurisdictions, you have to ensure that each new will you make does not unintentionally revoke any of your previously existing wills in other jurisdictions.
回答：
是的，在新加坡所立下遺囑亦可涵蓋海外資產。此外，也可以在遺囑人有資產的每個國家各別立一份遺囑。前提是這些國家均承認遺囑人之前在資產所在的國家所立下的遺囑。遺囑人也必須確保自己所立下的每份新遺囑都不會撤銷之前在各個在資產所在的國家立下的遺囑。
(圖片：由 康泰納仕數字公司 (through Vogue Taiwan), CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=147971273)
