Lawyer suspended for falsely attesting she witnessed client signing document
Source: Straits Times
Article Date: 19 Jul 2025
Author: Selina Lum
The judges said her misconduct arose from a serious lapse of judgment, the result of misplaced confidence; handed four-month suspension
A lawyer has been handed a four-month suspension for falsely attesting that she had witnessed her client sign a form to draw up a lasting power of attorney (LPA).
The client, Ms Ting Yin Wee, had pre-signed the form before e-mailing it to the lawyer, Ms Yeo Poh Tiang, who then added her signature as a witness even though the document was not signed in her presence.
About seven months after this took place, Ms Ting engaged Ms Yeo to act as her divorce lawyer, but after she became unhappy with the lawyer’s handling of the case, she decided to use the pre-signed form against her.
Ms Yeo’s suspension was imposed on April 7 by the Court of Three Judges, the highest disciplinary body for the legal profession, which has the power to suspend or disbar errant lawyers.
On July 18, the court issued written grounds of decision to explain why Ms Yeo’s misconduct was less serious than that of lawyers in three other similar cases who were suspended for between nine months and a year.
The judges pointed out that Ms Yeo had personally met Ms Ting to verify that the signature belonged to the client and to go through the document with her.
While this could not absolve Ms Yeo of liability, it would be relevant in sentencing, said the court, comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Tay Yong Kwang and Justice Belinda Ang.
“Overall, in our judgment, Ms Yeo’s misconduct arose from a serious lapse of judgment, the result of misplaced confidence,” said the court.
The court noted that Ms Yeo had sincerely believed her client wanted to proceed with the LPA, which has since been revoked by Ms Ting.
“Unfortunately, subsequent events soured the solicitor-client relationship, and the complainant made use of the pre-signed (form) against Ms Yeo.”
An LPA is a legal document that allows individuals to appoint another person to make financial decisions on their behalf if they lose mental capacity in the future. Individuals making an LPA must sign the document in the presence of a certificate issuer, such as a psychiatrist or a lawyer.
Ms Yeo, who was called to the Bar in 2006, was the director of Yeo & Associates.
On Jan 15, 2018, she met Ms Ting, who sought general advice on matrimonial matters and estate planning.
After Ms Yeo advised Ms Ting on how to go about making an LPA, the client downloaded the relevant form from the website of the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG).
Ms Ting filled up and signed the form before e-mailing it to Ms Yeo later that month.
The lawyer scheduled a meeting on Feb 5, 2018, to correct some mistakes she noticed in the form.
At the meeting, the lawyer went through the pre-signed form with Ms Ting before adding her signature and rubber stamp as the certificate issuer.
The form was lodged with the OPG on July 31, 2018.
In September that year, Ms Ting engaged Ms Yeo’s firm to act for her in her divorce.
She became unhappy with Ms Yeo’s handling of the matter and lodged complaints with the Law Society of Singapore. Those complaints were dismissed.
On Feb 28, 2020, Ms Ting contacted the OPG, saying that the LPA she made in 2018 was pre-signed and that she had not met Ms Yeo on Feb 5 that year.
The OPG wrote to the Law Society on Aug 3, 2021, about Ms Yeo’s false attestation.
On June 27, 2022, a disciplinary tribunal was constituted to formally investigate Ms Yeo’s conduct.
The tribunal, comprising Senior Counsel Toh Kian Sing and Mr Ronald Choo, found that the case was serious enough for Ms Yeo to face disciplinary sanction by the court.
Before the court on April 7, the Law Society, represented by Mr Keith Tnee, sought a suspension period of 11 months, citing precedent cases involving false attestation.
Ms Yeo’s lawyer, Senior Counsel Abraham Vergis, argued that when compared with the past cases, her case had mitigatory factors that warranted a lower suspension period.
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
Law Society of Singapore v Yeo Poh Tiang (alias Yang Baozhen) [2025] SGHC 136
2770