Essential Vocabulary for Adults | Wills, Probate, CPF Nominations & Lasting Power of Attorney

End-of-life planning is difficult enough without five different documents being treated as though they do the same job.

A will, a CPF nomination, a Lasting Power of Attorney and a Grant of Probate can all appear in the same family conversation, yet they operate at different times and control different things. This page teaches the language adults need to distinguish those systems before a decision becomes urgent.

This article is educational, not legal advice. Estate, inheritance and mental-capacity rules are jurisdiction-specific. For a real case, verify current requirements with the Family Justice Courts, CPF Board, Office of the Public Guardian, Public Trustee’s Office and a qualified legal professional where appropriate.

Diagnosis Before the Vocabulary

• Document confusion: a will is being treated as though it controls CPF savings or medical decisions automatically.
• Timing confusion: a document that operates during life is being confused with one that operates after death.
• Role confusion: executor, administrator, donee, deputy and nominee are being treated as interchangeable.
• Ownership confusion: property, CPF savings, insurance proceeds and jointly owned assets may pass through different legal routes.
• Capacity confusion: loss of mental capacity is not the same legal event as death.

1–10 · Core Estate Planning Terms

1. Estate — the property, rights and liabilities left by a person at death, subject to the applicable legal rules.
2. Estate planning — arranging how assets, responsibilities and decision-making should be handled during incapacity and after death.
3. Will — a legal document stating how specified estate assets should be dealt with after death, subject to legal validity rules.
4. Testator — the person who makes a will.
5. Beneficiary — a person or organisation entitled to receive a benefit under a will, trust, insurance policy or other arrangement.
6. Bequest — a gift made through a will.
7. Legacy — property or money left to someone under a will; usage can overlap with bequest.
8. Residue — the part of an estate remaining after debts, expenses and specific gifts are dealt with.
9. Residuary beneficiary — a beneficiary entitled to all or part of the residue.
10. Intestacy — the legal situation where a person dies without a valid will governing the relevant estate assets.

11–20 · People Who Handle an Estate

11. Executor — a person appointed by a will to administer the estate.
12. Administrator — a person authorised by the court to administer an estate where there is no executor able to act under a valid will.
13. Personal representative — a general term covering an executor or administrator.
14. Trustee — a person or entity holding and managing property for beneficiaries under a trust or other legal arrangement.
15. Guardian — a person appointed or recognised to care for a minor or manage specified responsibilities, depending on the legal context.
16. Nominee — a person designated to receive specified money or benefits under a nomination system.
17. Next of kin — a relative recognised for certain administrative or legal purposes; it does not automatically mean “the person who inherits everything”.
18. Heir — a person entitled to inherit under applicable succession law.
19. Creditor — a person or organisation to whom the deceased owed money.
20. Debtor — a person or organisation who owed money to the deceased or estate.

21–30 · Probate and Court Authority

21. Probate — the court process for proving a will and authorising the executor to administer the estate.
22. Grant of Probate — the court document confirming the executor’s authority to administer the estate under the will.
23. Letters of Administration — the court grant authorising an administrator to handle an estate where the relevant circumstances require administration rather than probate.
24. Grant — formal court authority allowing the personal representative to act for the estate.
25. Schedule of Assets — a formal list of estate assets used in the probate or administration process.
26. Affidavit — a written statement of facts sworn or affirmed for legal use.
27. Supporting affidavit — an affidavit supplying required facts and evidence for an application.
28. Caveat — a formal notice that may prevent a grant from being issued without further process.
29. Certified true copy — a copy formally certified as matching the original document.
30. Renunciation — formal giving up of a right to act in a specified estate role, such as applying for administration.

31–40 · Assets and Ownership

31. Real property — land and interests in land or buildings.
32. Personal property — movable property and other assets that are not real property.
33. Joint tenancy — a form of co-ownership in which the surviving joint owner may receive the deceased owner’s interest by survivorship, subject to the applicable law.
34. Tenancy-in-common — co-ownership in defined shares where a deceased owner’s share generally forms part of the estate.
35. Right of survivorship — the mechanism by which property held in certain joint ownership arrangements passes to the surviving owner.
36. Title — legal ownership or evidence of ownership in property.
37. Encumbrance — a legal claim, charge or restriction affecting property.
38. Mortgage — a secured loan arrangement tied to property.
39. Investment — an asset acquired with the expectation of income, growth or another financial return.
40. Digital asset — digitally stored value, rights or accounts that may require special access and estate planning.

41–50 · Debts, Expenses and Distribution

41. Estate debt — a valid debt owed by the deceased or estate.
42. Funeral expense — a cost associated with funeral arrangements, subject to estate and family arrangements.
43. Administration expense — a cost incurred in properly administering the estate.
44. Liability — a legal or financial responsibility owed by the estate or another party.
45. Distribution — transfer of estate assets to beneficiaries after the necessary administration steps.
46. Entitlement — a legal right to receive a benefit when applicable conditions are met.
47. Share — a stated portion of an estate or benefit.
48. Vesting — the point at which a legal right or interest becomes fixed or enforceable under the relevant arrangement.
49. Discharge — formal release from an obligation or confirmation that a duty has been completed.
50. Receipt — evidence that money or property has been received.

51–60 · CPF Nominations

51. CPF nomination — a direction made by a CPF member specifying who should receive eligible CPF savings and in what proportions after the member’s death.
52. CPF nominee — a person or organisation named to receive CPF savings under a valid nomination.
53. Nomination share — the percentage of nominated CPF savings assigned to a nominee.
54. Unnominated CPF savings — CPF savings distributed through the applicable Public Trustee process rather than under a valid CPF nomination.
55. Public Trustee — the public office that performs specified estate and trust functions, including distribution of certain unnominated CPF savings.
56. Automatic disbursement — payment made without a separate withdrawal application where CPF Board’s eligibility conditions are met.
57. CPF LIFE premium balance — the remaining premium balance that may be distributed under a valid CPF nomination according to current CPF rules.
58. Dependants’ Protection Scheme nomination — a separate nomination route for DPS benefits; it is not the same as a CPF nomination.
59. CPF Investment Scheme asset — an investment made with CPF savings that may fall outside ordinary CPF nomination distribution rules.
60. Review of nomination — checking whether the existing nomination still reflects the member’s intentions after major life changes.

61–70 · Lasting Power of Attorney

61. Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) — a legal document allowing an adult donor to appoint one or more donees to make specified decisions if the donor loses mental capacity.
62. Donor — the person making the LPA.
63. Donee — the person appointed under the LPA to make authorised decisions if the donor loses mental capacity.
64. Mental capacity — the ability to make a specific decision at the relevant time under the legal test.
65. Loss of mental capacity — inability to make a specific decision under the legal test; it may be temporary or permanent.
66. Personal welfare — decisions about matters such as living arrangements and personal care where the LPA grants those powers.
67. Property and affairs — financial and property decisions that may be delegated under an LPA.
68. Certificate issuer — an authorised professional who certifies that the donor understands the LPA and is making it without improper pressure.
69. OPGO — the Office of the Public Guardian Online system used for LPA-related processes in Singapore.
70. Electronic LPA — the registered digital version of an LPA used through the current OPG system.

71–80 · Deputyship and Capacity

71. Deputy — a person appointed by the court to make specified decisions for someone who lacks mental capacity when court appointment is required.
72. Deputyship — the court-authorised arrangement giving a deputy defined decision-making powers.
73. Professional deputy — a licensed or authorised professional appointed to act where appropriate under the legal framework.
74. Best interests — the legal principle requiring decisions for a person lacking capacity to be made for that person’s benefit under the Mental Capacity Act framework.
75. Decision-specific capacity — the principle that capacity is assessed for the particular decision and time, not as a single permanent label.
76. Medical report — a clinician’s report used to certify or explain a person’s capacity status for specified legal purposes.
77. Proxy decision-maker — a person authorised to decide on another person’s behalf in defined circumstances.
78. Authority — the legal power to act within specified limits.
79. Scope of powers — the boundary of decisions a donee or deputy is allowed to make.
80. Revocation — formal cancellation of a legal authority or document where the law permits it.

81–90 · Advance Planning Around Care

81. Advance Care Planning (ACP) — a process for discussing and documenting a person’s values, goals and preferences for future healthcare.
82. Nominated healthcare spokesperson — a person identified to help communicate healthcare preferences where the relevant care-planning framework recognises that role.
83. Advance Medical Directive (AMD) — a separate Singapore legal instrument concerning extraordinary life-sustaining treatment in specified terminal-illness circumstances; it is not the same as an LPA.
84. Consent — valid agreement to a decision or action after relevant information and choice requirements are met.
85. Informed consent — consent given after sufficient explanation of relevant benefits, risks, alternatives and uncertainties.
86. Capacity assessment — assessment of whether a person can make a specific decision at the relevant time.
87. Healthcare preference — a person’s stated wish about future medical care.
88. Care plan — a documented plan for treatment, support or future care.
89. Surrogate decision — a decision made by an authorised person on behalf of someone unable to decide for themselves.
90. Record — documentation used to preserve instructions, evidence and decision history.

91–100 · Common Legal and Administrative Terms

91. Valid — legally effective because required conditions have been satisfied.
92. Void — having no legal effect from the outset under the applicable rule.
93. Revocable — capable of being formally cancelled while the relevant conditions are met.
94. Witness — a person who observes the signing or execution of a document where witnessing is legally required.
95. Execution of a document — formal completion of signing and other required steps that make a document legally operative.
96. Certified copy — a copy confirmed as a true copy by an authorised person.
97. Original document — the primary signed or issued document rather than a reproduction.
98. Registration — formal entry of a document or right into an official system or register.
99. Jurisdiction — the legal authority of a court or body over a matter.
100. Legal advice — advice applying law to a person’s specific facts, which differs from general educational information.

Five Distinctions Adults Should Not Blur

• Will ≠ CPF nomination: CPF Board distributes nominated CPF savings under the CPF nomination framework, not simply by reading the will.
• LPA ≠ will: an LPA is for decision-making during life after loss of mental capacity; a will deals with estate matters after death.
• Executor ≠ donee: an executor administers an estate after death; a donee acts under an LPA during the donor’s lifetime when the legal trigger is met.
• Probate ≠ inheritance: probate is the court-authority process; inheritance is the receiving of property or benefits.
• Joint tenancy ≠ tenancy-in-common: the ownership form can change whether a deceased person’s share passes by survivorship or through the estate.

Singapore Examples

The Office of the Public Guardian states that an LPA allows a donor aged at least 21 to appoint donees for personal welfare and/or property and affairs if the donor later loses mental capacity. From 1 April 2026, Singapore Citizens can apply for LPA Form 1 without the application fee. CPF Board separately explains that a valid CPF nomination generally allows nominated CPF savings to be distributed more quickly, while unnominated savings are handled through the Public Trustee process under the applicable inheritance rules.

The Family Justice Courts distinguish a Grant of Probate from Letters of Administration. A grant authorises the personal representative to deal with estate assets, and organisations may ask for certified copies of the grant, Schedule of Assets or will before releasing funds.

Connections eduKateAI Can Learn

Life state ↔ document: LPA concerns incapacity during life; a will and probate concern events after death.

Asset type ↔ transfer route: CPF savings, jointly owned property, insurance proceeds and estate assets can follow different legal pathways.

Role ↔ authority: nominee, executor, administrator, donee and deputy each receive different powers from different legal sources.

Document ↔ trigger: legal documents become operational only when their stated conditions are met.

Plain language ↔ legal boundary: simplifying a term must not erase who has authority, when it begins or what assets it covers.

Research & Reference Basis

• MSF Office of the Public Guardian: Lasting Power of Attorney
• MSF: Court-Appointed Deputy
• CPF Board: Why make a CPF nomination?
• CPF Board: What CPF nomination covers
• Singapore Courts: Letters of Administration
• Singapore Courts: Issuance of probate or administration grant

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