Actress Shirli Ling sheds light on a crucial legal issue in Singapore: unwed mothers must legally adopt their own children to ensure their rights and inheritance. Ling's revelation stems from her reaction to Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu's death and the ensuing questions about her children's custody and inheritance. She emphasizes the importance of legal adoption, sharing her own experience and the potential consequences for unwed mothers who choose not to adopt.
Actress and entrepreneur Shirli Ling shared a concerning fact about unwed mothers in Singapore: they must legally adopt their own children for them to obtain certain rights. Ling highlighted this issue in a recent Instagram video, reacting to the news of Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu's death and the ensuing speculation about the division of her assets and child custody.
'Barbie's recent death is very sad as she was so young and she was our childhood idol,' said the Ah Girls Go Army actress, who is a mother of five children aged nine to 19. Notably, Ling didn't legally adopt the children she had with her former spouse. 'So now that she has passed on, the custody will automatically be held by their biological father,' she continued, referencing Hsu's situation.Ling explained that, according to Singapore law, children born out of wedlock don't automatically have the same rights as children born within marriage. Mothers in this situation would have to legally adopt their biological children for them to be considered legitimate and eligible for an equal share of inheritance. She shared her own experience as a single mother when she had her fourth child, stating she had to 'do a legal document to adopt my own daughter.' Ling emphasized the importance of legal adoption, stating, 'In the event that I pass on in the future and I did not legally adopt my daughter, if I've a lot of assets and my kids fight for my money, my daughter may lose out.' According to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) website, illegitimate children have a 'lower priority for inheritance of parents' assets', though mothers don't need to adopt their own children to qualify for government benefits like the Child Development Account and education subsidies. MSF's website also notes that adoption by the mother would 'terminate the duties, obligations and liabilities of the biological father, and the child would no longer be able to seek maintenance from the father under the Women's Charter.' Ling stated that she learned about these inheritance and custody laws after a conversation with her lawyers. She added that she hasn't gone through the legal adoption process for her 11-year-old daughter yet, as it would cost 'about $3,000'. However, she intends to do so once she recovers financially from the recent closure of three of her food and beverage stalls. Ling's husband is also willing to adopt her daughter, making him her legal parent. She also shared in the video: 'Even though I don't have many assets now, I'm confident that past 40 years of age, I will have a lot.
SINGAPORE LAW INHERITANCE CHILD CUSTODY UNWED MOTHERS LEGAL ADOPTION ACTRESS SHIRLI LING BARBIE HSU
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