How to distribute the remaining estate in the will; and7. Basic information at the beginning of the will, such as the date of creation and description of the testator;2. For more information on probate, please visit Probate。 If in doubt, you are strongly advised to seek legal advice. The teenage daughters may apply for maintenance and have a good chance to get more than what they get under intestacy laws. The deceased died intestate recently and her husband emerges out of nowhere asking for his share from the estate (i.e. more than 1/2).
- It is possible to revoke a grant of probate or administration if there is a valid reason, and a new grant can be issued instead.
- In default of any such person it shall be granted to the Official Administrator.
- If the deceased died testate (i.e. he/she had made a Will appointing an executor), the executor is the only person who is entitled to apply for a Grant of Probate of the Will.
- If the will is lost, the grant made is limited until the original or a more authentic copy is proved.
- The citation and verifying affidavit must be personally served (r.45(4)).
- 54 of Non-Contentious Probate Rules (Cap. 10A), an application for an order for a grant of special administration under section 37 of the Ordinance where a personal representative is residing outside Hong Kong shall be made to the court on motion.
Can a beneficiary refuse to take up the entitlement to an estate?
One of the main functions of a Will is to provide instructions for distributing the estate according to the intention of the testator (person making the Will, i.e. the deceased). Any person who, immediately before the death of the deceased, was being maintained either wholly or substantially by the deceased may apply. In other words, even if the deceased leaves behind substantial assets in Hong Kong, the captioned ordinance remains inapplicable if the above domicile/residence requirement is not satisfied. Generally speaking, only documents relevant to an application for a Grant of Representation, or personal items relating to a person other than the deceased and urgently required by that person, can be removed. For deaths between 15 th July 2005 and 10 th February 2006 , the Applicant still needs to follow the old practice to obtain estate duty clearance. The applicant for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration (« the Applicant ») should follow the old practice to obtain estate duty clearance before lodging an application to the High Court for a Grant of Representation.
Duty of Not to Waste and Duty as a Fiduciary
If a Will is found, the Holder (if he/she is the named executor) can take the Will away after making a copy of the same and placing the copy in the safe deposit box. For more information regarding the application procedure, please refer to the website of the Home Affairs Department. With effect from 1st April 2007, the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs has delegated his power as regards access, inspection and inventory taking of a deceased person’ safe deposit box to the Director of Home Affairs. The deceased’s family members or legal representative must check carefully to see if the deceased had made a Will (or whether the Will on hand is the latest/last Will or not). Whether or not a Will is left by the deceased would affect the application procedure for the Grant of Representation. If the applicant discovers additional assets which have not been included in the verifying affirmation, the applicant should file a Corrective Affirmation/Affidavit verifying the Additional Schedule of Assets and Liabilities (Before Grant).
A personal representative has the duty to account to the beneficiaries for the estate. Generally speaking, a personal representative has the powers to sell the assets of the estate for the purpose of paying debts or expenses of the estate or for the purpose of distribution. Likewise, a personal representative has the powers to defend the estate in a legal action and to reach settlement with the claimant. In particular, a person representative has the power to commence legal proceedings to collect assets for the forzabet estate, including but not limited to obtain a freezing order against the party holding the assets so that that party cannot dispose of those assets until court order.
Book traversal links for The estate agents’ services (with an overview of the sale and purchase procedures)
As a fiduciary, a personal presentative is bound to do his best for the benefit of the estate. He or she may be liable personally for the resulting waste if he/she failed such duty by wilful misconduct or negligence etc. HK$1,000,000 to a beneficiary, the beneficiary is entitled to interest from the end of the 12 months after the deceased’s demise (i.e. the so-called executor’s year).
Can the testator have more than one Will at the same time?
Another exception is a spouse’s right of first refusal over the matrimonial property. The same costs concerns set out above apply more or less equally to the defence of a claim. All the other joint tenant(s) need(s) to do is to register the death certificate of the deceased joint tenant. For other pension schemes, you need to refer to the scheme documents and contact the person-in-charge accordingly. For more details about death registration, please visit the Immigration Department’s website. It is a criminal offence to refuse or, without reasonable excuse, omit to register a death as required by law punishable by a fine of HK$2,000 or up to 6 months’ imprisonment.
It permits a separate document that has not been executed in compliance with s.5(1) of Wills Ordinance (Cap. 30) to be included as part of the will and be accepted for probate. Under s.23A of the Wills Ordinance (Cap. 30), the Court has the power to rectify a will if the will fails to carry out the testator’s intention due to a clerical mistake or a failure to comprehend his instructions. To prevent such issues, the testator can include a provision in the receipt clause that specifies the receipt should only be given by an individual who appears to be the treasurer or another suitable officer of the organisation.
- An application should be made for an order to revoke the Letters of Administration under s.33 of Probate and Administration Ordinance (Cap. 10).
- However, an issue may arise in relation to whether a later will was intended by the testator to supersede an earlier will.
- Exceptions include conveyancing of landed property, which can only be made with the concurrence of all personal representatives.
- (b) a firm (The appointment will typically be considered valid for those individuals who were partners in the firm at the time the will was executed, rather than at the time of the testator’s death.).
- Assuming that the deceased only leaves siblings and a cousin (i.e. my father), pursuant to s.21(1)(iv) of Non-Contentious Probate Rules (Cap. 10A), the deceased’s siblings have immediate beneficiary interests and are entitled to a grant to administration.
That is why it is prudent for the personal representative to advertise and wait for at least 2 months as set out in this Part. Exceptions include conveyancing of landed property, which can only be made with the concurrence of all personal representatives. The grant of probate is a proof of the will only and not itself the source of duty/power. If, however, the personal representative delay unreasonably for a prolonged period, it may constitute a ground for removal of that representative from office by the Court. The situation may be different if the will specifically asks the personal representative to run the deceased’s business for a period, or if all the beneficiaries so agree. In general, a personal representative has no powers to hold on to the shares of the deceased and run the company indefinitely.
But the personal representative must act honestly on the timing of distribution and must not postpone unreasonably. It means that, unless, as mentioned, the assets of the estate are not enough to pay off its debt, a spouse has the right to take the matrimonial property in satisfaction of his/her share under intestacy. There may be costs consequences to the personal representative personally though, especially if the claim is actually a claim involving beneficiaries. The nearest relatives of the deceased present at the death or during the deceased’s last illness or other relevant persons of the deceased are under a duty to register a death from natural causes within 14 days after such death. A testator should inquire the friend’s age, expertise in administering the estate and whether the friend has conflicts of interests e.g. if the friend is also a beneficiary. A caveat is a means of preventing a grant of probate or administration from being sealed without the caveator’s knowledge.
A man could have made a Will that left everything to his legitimate children with no provision for his surviving wife or illegitimate child whom he had been maintaining before his death. Even if the intention of the testator is clearly stated in the Will, it may still be challenged. Late application will not be entertained at all unless with exceptional reasons. This includes ex-spouse, lover, adult child, godchild or even parents and siblings who were so maintained before the deceased’s demise.
What can be done if the Will is found after the Letters of Administration is granted?
(1) show the opening balance (including capital assets) and closing balance; But if the beneficiary is a descendent of the deceased, then the gift will go to the issue of that deceased beneficiary under s.23 of the Wills Ordinance (Cap. 30). In such case, the specific gift under the will have to be used to pay off those expenses and the debts too and the beneficiary will not be able to get that gift. Abatement happens when the remaining assets of the estate is not enough to pay off its funeral expenses and debts. In such case, the intended beneficiary will not get that specific gift.
In default of any such person it shall be granted to the Official Administrator. The citation and verifying affidavit must be personally served (r.45(4)). In the given scenario, he can clear off all person with prior entitlement to a grant by a Citation. For a person who died on or after 11 th February 2006 , the relevant application fee is $265 and the fee for engrossment of a Grant is $72. Administration shall not be granted to more than four persons in respect of the same property.