The testator does not necessarily own a general forzabet gift at the date of death. He must own the specific gift at the time of his death in order to pass the gift to the designated beneficiary. Therefore, if a person leaves a Will after the death, he or she is said to have died “testate”.
It is not a prerequisite to obtain a court order before submitting this application. The application shall be supported by an affidavit setting out the grounds of the application, and if any person served with the subpoena denies that the will is in his possession or control, he may file an affidavit to that effect. 49(2) of Non-Contentious Probate Rules (Cap. 10A), the executor may make an ex parte application to the Registrar under s.7(3) of Probate and Administration Ordinance (Cap. 10) for the issue of a subpoena to bring in a will. If the Court admits the copy will to probate, the order normally includes a direction that the grant is limited until the original will or a more authentic copy will has been proved. In order to have the copy will admitted to probate, an application must be made to the Registrar under r.53 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules (Cap. 10A).
Inheritance (Provision for Families and Dependants) Ordinance
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.
For deaths before 15 th July 2005 , estate duty remains payable. Before the abolition of estate duty on 11 th February 2006 , “Estate Duty Clearance” (evidencing the required duty has been paid) needs to be obtained before an application can be made for a Grant of Representation. 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. You should consider appointing a person to act as guardian (to have legal custody) of any children who are minors (below the age of 18) at the time of your death. Discretionary powers will therefore be given to the executor to distribute as much of the income and/or capital for the benefit of the child as the executor sees fit before the child can formally receive all the assets.
Is there a time limit for the distribution of the estate?
Therefore, it is worth knowing more about the services provided by estate agents. No matter whether you are a vendor or a purchaser, the first party that you have to deal with is normally the estate agent. (iii) Vendor and purchaser sign a provisional (or preliminary) agreement for sale and purchase of the selected property (the provisional agreement is usually provided by the estate agent). (i) A vendor finds an estate agent(s) to sell the property, and/or a purchaser finds an estate agent(s) to search for appropriate properties to buy; More specifically, families or dependents of the deceased may claim against the estate if they contend that they should be given a share (if not provided under the will or intestacy) or a large share than the share that they are now given under will or intestacy. Note also that there may be claim under Inheritance (Provisions for Families and Dependents) Ordinance (Cap. 481) within 6 months of grant.
What are some matters to consider for gifts to various beneficiaries?
The personal representative of any such person subject to r.25(3) of Non-Contentious Probate Rules (Cap. 10A) The personal representative of any such person subject to r.25(3) of Non-Contentious Probate Rules (Cap. 10A) (A living person is preferred to a personal representative); Will the executor only receive the legacy after he has obtained probate and administered the estate? If the spouse is given an absolute gift, it may be subject to a survivorship clause, which requires the spouse to live longer than the testator by a specified period before they are eligible to receive the gift. Minors cannot issue a valid receipt to personal representatives. A residuary gift is the remaining assets of an estate after all the specific and general legacies have been paid and other necessary provisions have been made.
Can probate be applied for if the original Will is lost and there is only a copy of the Will?
- 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.
- You should consider appointing a person to act as guardian (to have legal custody) of any children who are minors (below the age of 18) at the time of your death.
- A valid will will be duly executed upon the testator’s death.
- A failure to observe the proper order can render the personal representatives personally liable.
- A codicil is a legal document that supplements a will.
- One major difference between an executor and an administrator
Instead, he may apply for an order admitting proof of other evidence of its contents can be made to the Registrar under r.53 of Non-Contentious Probate Rules (Cap. 10A). If the testator has publicized the existence of his Will during his lifetime, the applicant may not be able to swear to the intestacy of the deceased. We must prove that the potential administrators are clearly unsuitable e.g. they refuse to apply for the Letters of Administration or that it is more convenient to do so. 3 of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Ordinance (Cap. 481) and might have beneficial interest in the estate. However, my father and I may have beneficial interest in the estate by virtue of s. Therefore, the deceased’s siblings have immediate beneficial interest in the estate, but my father and I do not have immediate beneficial interest in the estate.
- 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.
- While no provision has expressly prohibited a bankrupt to be appointed as an executor/administrator, the Court generally deemed a bankrupt unsuitable to assume the office.
- This Personal Representative has the authority to deal with the deceased’s estate, such as to manage and distribute the relevant assets to the beneficiaries.
- Therefore, his/her power to act starts from the date of the Grant but not from the date of the death of the deceased.
- It is not a prerequisite to obtain a court order before submitting this application.
- For deaths on or after 11th February 2006, the Applicant should follow the new procedure and arrangement which will be described in Procedures.
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
(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.
If the personal representative fails to administer the estate properly, what can the beneficiary do?
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.
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.
No matter when the deceased dies, an estate will need to provide for salaries tax, profits tax and property tax due by the deceased up to the date of his/her death. If the deceased died before the abolition of estate duty in 2005 and the net value of the estate is over $7,500,000, estate duty is payable. “Insolvent” means that the assets of the estate are not enough to pay for the debts of the estate. First thing first, the executor/administrator needs to arrange payment or make provisions for the payment of the deceased’s debts, funeral and other expenses in relation to the estate.
Any person having no interest under the will of the deceased but who would have been entitled to a grant if the deceased had died wholly intestate. A testator may choose to give their spouse either an absolute gift or a life interest in his estate. Therefore, wills typically grant personal representatives the power to obtain a receipt from the minor’s parent or guardian. Although an application for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration can be made in person, you should consider seeking legal advice if there are complicated issues or disputes involved in the estate (e.g. the deceased has a foreign property). The person entitled to the residuary legacy is the person who can take the remainder of the deceased’s estate after all the other conditions of the Will have been met (i.e. other beneficiaries have been paid, and all the debts and administration expenses have been settled).