Debated in Parliament on 30 Nov 2022.
Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Law whether he can provide an update on the progress of the development of the Probate e-service system that was announced in Parliament in March 2022.
The Family Justice Courts (FJC) have been working on a probate e-service that will make the probate process easier and simpler for applicants with straightforward probate applications.
As announced in March 2022, key features of the probate e-service will include the automatic population of data through integration with MyInfo and the use of guided questions. Applicants using the e-service will no longer need to file death certificates if the relevant information can be obtained by the e-service directly from a Government agency. FJC is also studying how the application process can be further streamlined, including by reducing the number of steps that an applicant needs to take before the relevant application is granted. FJC will also explore whether digital signing capabilities can be added in future enhancements.
FJC is engaging stakeholders, including members of the family Bar, on the probate e-service and will consider their feedback in the final design of the system.
FJC, currently, intends to launch the system in the first half of 2023, although this is subject to developmental progress. The system will, initially, be used for straightforward probate cases, with capacity progressively ramped up over time.
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