Background
Do you know that the CPF nomination revokes automatically when you get married, but not divorce?
This involved a case of an 80-year-old man, Mr Toh, who had been divorced for more than 36 years. Mr Toh divorced his wife, Ms Yee, in February 1985. They have a daughter, Ms Toh, together. Both Mr Toh and Ms Toh ceased contact with Ms Yee after the divorce.
On 22 November 2021, Mr Toh submitted his CPF nomination via the online CPF portal. The first witness had completed his online attestation. However, the second witness did not complete the attestation, and the submission expired.
Subsequently, Mr Toh re-submitted his CPF nomination on 30 November 2021. Once again, the first witness completed this online attestation, but the second witness failed to do so.
On 4 January 2022, Mr Toh fell ill and passed away. Ms Toh and her husband requested CPF to disburse Mr Toh’s CPF funds but were rejected by the CPF board as Mr Toh had not successfully made a new nomination before his passing.
Ms Toh then sought for the submission to be a valid CPF nomination, which superseded any previous CPF nominations.
Findings
The Court believes that Mr Toh could not have intended his CPF monies to pass to his ex-spouse, Ms Yee. Thus, the Court holds that the nomination is valid based on the available evidence.
However, the court also emphasized that the CPF board was not obliged to recognize the claims of an alleged beneficiary when formalities were not complied with, as it would expose the CPF board to the risk of not paying the rightful beneficiaries.
Learning Point
Marriage will revoke your CPF nomination, but not divorce. As such, it is vital to review your CPF nomination to ensure that your hard-earned CPF savings are distributed according to your intentions or wishes.
Ensuring that your CPF nomination is up to date can minimize unnecessary conflicts or time taken to justify your actual intentions.
To read more about the case, visit https://bit.ly/3Ls3863
You are encouraged to seek legal or professional advice for any matters relating to divorce, which includes the division of matrimonial assets.
Disclaimer:
This content is meant for information purposes or reference only and not is not to be relied upon as professional or legal advice. This content does not constitute either advice or an offer or an invitation to offer to acquire, dispose of, subscribe for, or underwrite any of the financial instruments described herein.
You should seek advice from an attorney or professional who will be able to provide you with the relevant advice before you make any decision.
All details such as names, characters, places, companies and scenarios are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
