WHR & Anor v WHT & 13 Ors

[2023] SGHCF 32 High Court (Family Division) 19 July 2023 HCF/S 4/2019

1 cases cited Cited by 1 case

Key facts

Court	High Court (Family Division)
Decided	19 July 2023
Judge	Choo Han Teck
Charges / claim	Succession and Wills—Codicils, Succession and Wills—Testamentary Capacity
Counsel	Allen & Gledhill LLP, De Souza Lim & Goh LLP, Harry Elias Partnership LLP, Selvam LLC, Tan, Oei & Oei LLC, UniLegal LLC, Wong Tan & Molly Lim LLC, Alfred Li, Anna Oei Ai Hoea, Cherrilynn Chia, Christine Chuah Hui Fen, Goh Kok Yeow, Hee Theng Fong, Loh Li Qin, Loh Weijie Leonard, Philip Ling, Poon Pui Yee, Racheal Wong Shu Yi, Sarbjit Singh Chopra, Tan Teng Muan, Tan Xeauwei, William Ong

Source: [2023] SGHCF 32, High Court (Family Division), decided 19 July 2023 — eLitigation. Updated 10 July 2026.

Catchwords

Succession and Wills—Codicils Succession and Wills—Testamentary Capacity

Practice Areas

Succession and Wills—Codicils Succession and Wills—Testamentary Capacity

Judges (1)

Choo Han Teck Delivered

Counsel (22)

Allen & Gledhill LLP Firm De Souza Lim & Goh LLP Firm Harry Elias Partnership LLP Firm Selvam LLC Firm Tan, Oei & Oei LLC Firm UniLegal LLC Firm Wong Tan & Molly Lim LLC Firm

Alfred Li Counsel for the defendant

Anna Oei Ai Hoea Counsel for the defendant

Cherrilynn Chia Counsel for the defendant

Christine Chuah Hui Fen Counsel for the defendant

Goh Kok Yeow Counsel for the defendant

Hee Theng Fong Counsel for the defendant

Loh Li Qin Counsel for the plaintiff Loh Weijie Leonard Counsel for the defendant

Philip Ling Counsel for the third party

Poon Pui Yee Counsel for the defendant

Racheal Wong Shu Yi Counsel for the defendant

Sarbjit Singh Chopra Counsel for the defendant Tan Teng Muan Counsel for the plaintiff

Tan Xeauwei Counsel for the defendant

William Ong Counsel for the defendant

Parties (16)

WHR Plaintiff

WHS Plaintiff

WHT Defendant

WHU Defendant

WHV Defendant

WHW Defendant

WHX Defendant

WHY Defendant

WHZ Defendant

WIA Defendant

WIB Defendant

WIC Defendant

WID Defendant

WIF Defendant

WIG Defendant

WIH Defendant

Case Significance

WHR and another v WHT and others [2023] SGHCF 32 is a reserved judgment of Choo Han Teck J in the General Division of the High Court (Family Division), delivered on 19 July 2023 in Suit No 4 of 2019. The plaintiffs, WHR and WHS, sued as executors of the Last Will and Testament dated 25 March 1999 and Codicil dated 6 August 2008 of LLT, deceased, against fourteen defendants; LLT was born in China on 3 March 1917, emigrated to Singapore in 1935 aged 18, built a wholesale luxury watch business, and died on 13 March 2009 aged 92 leaving a large estate and seven children. After his estate remained unadministered for about five years, the first and second defendants filed caveats against the grant of probate on 9 October 2014; the catchwords address succession and wills questions of codicils and testamentary capacity.

Summary

This was a probate suit in which the executors of the estate of a deceased businessman sought to prove his Will and Codicil in solemn form against a group of family members who opposed their validity, raising issues of testamentary capacity. As no witnesses were called for the opposing defendants and no contrary evidence was adduced, Choo Han Teck J found the Will and Codicil validly executed and declared them proved in solemn form. The court ordered that each party bear its own costs.

What was WHR v WHT [2023] SGHCF 32 about?

It was a succession dispute before Choo Han Teck J in the Family Division, delivered on 19 July 2023, in which WHR and WHS sued as executors of the Will dated 25 March 1999 and Codicil dated 6 August 2008 of LLT against fourteen defendants.

Who was LLT in WHR v WHT [2023] SGHCF 32?

LLT was born in China on 3 March 1917, emigrated to Singapore in 1935 aged 18, built a wholesale luxury watch business and died on 13 March 2009 aged 92, leaving a large estate and seven children; caveats against probate were filed on 9 October 2014.