1. Build the asset map
- List each material asset, account, property, company interest and policy.
- Record the legal owner, custodian and jurisdiction for each one.
- Distinguish direct holdings from funds, companies, trusts and nominee arrangements.
- Identify assets the family knows exist but could not locate or access quickly.
2. Test the succession route
- Which will, nomination, trust deed, shareholders’ agreement or survivorship rule governs each asset?
- Does a foreign asset require a local grant, local will or separate administration?
- Could competing instruments contradict one another?
- Who has authority if the owner loses capacity rather than dies?
3. Check tax and situs
- Could the asset be treated as situated in another country for estate or inheritance tax?
- Are US-incorporated shares or US real estate held directly?
- Has an adviser checked treaty position, domicile and the legal character of the holding?
- Are valuations and ownership records current enough to support a filing?
4. Find the liquidity gap
- What cash is immediately available outside frozen accounts or probate?
- Who pays mortgages, tax, professional fees and family expenses during administration?
- Would an executor be forced to sell a concentrated or illiquid asset?
- Do policy nominations and ownership arrangements send proceeds to the intended person?
5. Prepare the adviser brief
- Which questions require Singapore legal advice?
- Which require advice in another jurisdiction?
- Who is responsible for reconciling the answers into one plan?
- What event triggers the next review: relocation, acquisition, marriage, birth, sale or law change?
Primary reference
US Internal Revenue Service: estate-tax returns for nonresidents with US assets.
General information only. This checklist is not legal or tax advice.