Update as of 4 January 2021 The Payment Services (Amendment) Bill (now, the “Act“) has been passed in Parliament after its Second Reading on Monday, 4 January 2021. The amendments to the PS Act have not taken effect and will come into force on a date yet to be announced.…
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Divorce for British Expats: The Effect of Brexit
A court’s ability to deal with a divorce is called its “jurisdiction”. For British expatriates (also referred to as “expats”) in Singapore, a divorce can typically proceed either in the Singapore or English jurisdiction. The jurisdiction in which a divorce takes place fixes the framework of law which applies to…

Expanding the Scope of SME Grant Schemes (MRA, PSG & EDG)
Following the Ministerial Statement announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on 5 October 2020, Enterprise Singapore announced that it will enhance and extend grant and loan schemes for SMEs on 12 October 2020, which include, inter alia, the Market Readiness Assistance Grant (“MRA”), the Productivity Solutions Grant, Enterprise Development Grant and…

Setting up a Variable Capital Company in Singapore
On 1 October 2018, Parliament passed into law the Variable Companies Act 2018 (VCC Act), which provides for the incorporation, operation and regulation of the Variable Capital Companies (VCC). VCCs are a new corporate structure which investment fund managers (and family offices) can choose to utilise to manage their funds.…

Islamic vs Civil Estate Planning: Differences and Implications
Estate planning is the process of managing one’s assets, such as your monies or properties, while you are still alive, in preparation of the unfortunate event of your death or unforeseen circumstances. Some examples of how you can plan your estate include writing a will or buying life insurance plans.…

Legal Challenges Posed by the Covid-19 Fallout and How SMEs Should Respond
It is an understatement to say that Small-and-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been hit hard by COVID-19. The unprecedented and widespread disruptions to business operations have thrown many businesses into financial disarray. SMEs often do not have deep pockets to weather a prolonged period of cessation of business operations. Hence, it…

COVID-19 Rental Relief Framework in Singapore: How to Apply
If you are a business owner who has rented premises in Singapore during the current pandemic, you may be able to obtain Rental Relief under the COVID-19 Rental Relief framework. The framework, set out in Part 2A of the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, came into force on 31 July 2020.…

COVID-19 Commercial Lease Issues in Singapore: What to Do
If the premises for your Singapore business is rented and your business has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, you may be struggling to pay your overheads, especially the rental cost of your premises. What can you do about this? Managing Rent Negotiation with landlords Typically, commercial tenancy agreements…

COVID-19 Impacts on Marriages: Wedding Venue Cancellations and HDB Key Collection
COVID-19 — and the accompanying circuit breaker measures to stop its transmission — have thrown a wrench in many couples’ plans to get married. Recognising that it may be some time before the pandemic ends, the Singapore government has passed the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures for Solemnisation and Registration of Marriages)…

8 Creative Ways of Proving Your Location for Your Legal Case (Even If You Have No Witnesses)
Why Might You Need to Prove an Alibi? There are a variety of legal quandaries in which one might find oneself in which it is critically important to be able to prove an alibi, i.e. where you or someone else was (or was not) at a particular time on a…
