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.
If a gift is given to an unincorporated association, all members of that association receive that gift. The testator must check and confirm the name, address and the charitable status of the charity. Unless the executor is a professional executor, serving as an executor is an unpaid position. However, if the testator intends to benefit natural and legitimate children only, they must clearly express this in the will. Such a gift is intended for a group of beneficiaries rather than for individual recipient(s). When beneficiaries are recognized through a general or collective formula, typically based on their relationship rather than by name, a gift is considered to be to a class.

If the executor resides out of Hong Kong and refuses to assume the office, how can he renounce the right to probate?

One major difference between an executor and an administrator The maximum number of administrators (or adminstratrix in case of a female) of an estate is four . A “Personal Representative” is a general term for either an executor or an administrator.

What can be done if the Will is found after the Letters of Administration is granted?

There are a number of situations in which a gift under a will is said to have failed, i.e. the beneficiary cannot get what the will intends to give him/her. Other than exceptions such as above, a beneficiary of the estate generally does not have the right to insist on keeping a particular asset unsold. Exceptions include specific gift under a will (i.e. the deceased gave a specific asset to a specific beneficiary). If it is a life policy whose beneficiary is someone other than the deceased (e.g. deceased’s families), it does not fall within a part of the estate. Please refer to the section about “capacity of an executor”. For an estate more than $150,000, follow the usual procedure for obtaining a grant.
The creditors should go after the estate’s personal representatives (i.e. the executor or the administrator of the deceased’s estate) . If, however, the deceased leaves behind assets in the Mainland, the intended personal representative may need to seek the Mainland legal advice as to those assets. The personal representative’s duty is to distribute the shares of the company to the beneficiaries (if the will so specifically gifts) or to sell the shares and distribute the sale proceeds to the beneficiaries according to will or the laws of intestacy. The personal representative would be personally liable for the said contractual breach or tortious wrong to that third party and, depending on the circumstances, may or may not be entitled to reimbursement by the estate. A personal representative may assume liability towards third party if he/she commits breach of contract in the name of the estate or commit act of negligence in the course of administration. (3) give details of the whereabouts of all properties (including cash) of the estate which the personal representative is duty bound to administer; and

What should the executor/administrator do if he has lost the Grant?

In other words, they may be entitled to get a reasonable amount from your estate in order to maintain their living. Your wife and your children could apply to the Court for provisions to be made for them from your estate. For example, if you were to declare that all your estate goes to your parents, or a charity, without leaving even one dollar to your wife or minor children, such an intention may not be achieved after your death. Generally speaking, every person has “free testamentary capacity”. In other words, the estate of the elder deceased will pass to the younger deceased, which will then be further dealt with according to legal regulations. This clause gives a testator control on the ultimate destination of his estate.

III. Alterations to Wills

Furthermore, he has to apply for and file a certified copy of the Schedule of Assets and Liabilities (including the Additional Schedule) and the Will (if any); and pay the necessary administration fees. He may apply for a Duplicate Grant in person or through a firm of solicitors in Hong Kong. S.33 of the Probate and Administration Ordinance (Cap. 10) set out circumstances where the grant “ought not to have been granted or contains an error” , then the forzabet court can revoke it. If the executor of the deceased executor proves the unbroken chain, he is the executor of every preceding testator. However, we may also apply for the Court to invoke its power under s.36 of Probate and Administration Ordinance (Cap. 10) to appoint us to be the administrators of the estate. Otherwise, the administration shall generally be granted to the Official Administrator under r.21(3) of Non-Contentious Probate Rules (Cap. 10A).

• If, however, the deceased leaves behind assets in the Mainland, the intended personal representative may need to seek the Mainland legal advice as to those assets.
• An application shall be made within 6 months since the first grant of representation, otherwise, leave of the Court must be obtained.
• An example of a debt incurred after death is the management fee of a property that is owned by the deceased.
• For example, a trustee or a guardian may be appointed to monitor the assets inherited by the disabled.
• In such a case, the Judge may make an order for a grant contrary to the terms in the will.
• You may wish to make specific gifts of money, shares, or real estate to certain persons or charities.

• However, since C has died before the grandmother did with two children (D & E) of his/her own, D and E will take equally C’s share of the residuary estate when they reach 18 if not already have or married before 18.
• For example, if the deceased has two flats (one of them in Hong Kong and the other is situated outside Hong Kong), then the foreign property will not be included in the estate in respect of the Grant of Representation in Hong Kong.
• 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.
• In practice, it would be of less significance as the beneficiaries ranking in priority under intestacy, being the surviving spouse and children of the deceased, would generally be the persons expecting financial provisions from the deceased’s estate.
• The testator must specifically identify or describe the gift in his will.

For instance, the testator executed the will under threats. However, if a testator were a) mentally ill or b) extremely ill and were under medication, he needs to prove that he was conscious for a period such that he knew and agreed to the content of the will when the will was signed. For example, a clause is inserted in the Will stating that the subsequent marriage with a named person shall not revoke the Will. Usually a person has to take action to revoke his/her own Will. No matter whether or not the deceased has made a Will, generally a Grant of Representation will have to be obtained from the Probate Registry of the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region before any of the deceased’s assets in Hong Kong can be dealt with.
Whilst the law in Hong Kong confers absolute testamentary freedom on individuals, it also recognizes the need for an individual to make financial provisions from his estate for his spouse and those who had been dependent on him financially during his lifetime. Under such circumstances, the surviving spouse could make a claim for a share of the estate, and the illegitimate child could claim for maintenance to be provided for him out of the estate pursuant to the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Ordinance. Any aggrieved party may bring legal action against the executor to contest the validity of the deceased’s Will.
However, if the will does not include a proper attestation clause, an affidavit of due execution should be filed (Form W3.1) at the time of the application (see r.10 of Non-Contentious Probate Rules (Cap.10)). Usually no requisition is raised about the proof of the sound mind of the testator if the will was executed before solicitors, clerks or doctors. Documents in support of the application (for a Grant of Letters of Administration) The above documents must be lodged together with the documents listed in the section “Documents in support of the application” (see below) with the Probate Registry. The applicant has to sign that document and swear for the truthfulness of its content in front of a solicitor or a court officer. The Court generally views that an insolvent person is unsuitable to be appointed an administrator.

Therefore, his/her power to act starts from the date of the Grant but not from the date of the death of the deceased. The power of an executor stems directly from the Will. Although the powers of an executor and an administrator are almost the same, there is one major difference.
Son C may apply for maintenance and has a good chance to get a larger share than 1/3. The deceased died intestate, meaning that Sons A, B and C are to inherit 1/3 of the estate each under laws of intestacy. Physically handicapped though he is, Son C has been a loving and caring son to the deceased. Son C, however, is physically handicapped and is earning minimum wages all along.
You should apply to the Official Administrator for the exercise of his power to get in and administer the estate. A testator may contact the in-house lawyer of the NGO and inquire if the NGO is willing to act as an executor. Therefore, a testator may ask the proposed executor in advance to see whether he or she is willing to act.