若然先人离世前未有订立遗嘱，或所订立的遗嘱未能有效地分配资产，无遗嘱继承法 (the rules of intestacy) 便会确定遗产受益人及其对遗产的拥有权份额。

目前, 澳洲并未有统一的无遗嘱继承法。因此各州和领地的无遗嘱继承法不尽相同。在新南威尔斯州，《遗产继承条例》里面的第4章定明了适用于本州的无遗嘱继承法。

一般而言，按照新州法律，在未有订立遗嘱的情况下，先人的遗产会由血亲继承，包括配偶和经正式领养的子女。非婚生，经由人工受孕，和于先人过身时已经成孕的子女，同样享有继承权。在这个原则之下，继子女和寄养子女并没有继承权。如无合资格的承继人，先人的遗产会尽归政府库房。

因此，立下有效的遗嘱甚为重要。遗嘱给予订立遗嘱者决定个人财产分配的自由度，并且能够减低出现争产情况的可能。

本信息不能用作为法律意见。如对遗产继承法有任何疑问，欢迎与本行的专业团队联络。

(冯煜华见习律师撰写)

未立遺囑情況下資產該如何分配

若然先人離世前未有訂立遺囑，或所訂立的遺囑未能有效地分配資產，無遺囑繼承法 (the rules of intestacy) 便會確定遺產受益人及其對遺產的擁有權份額。

目前, 澳洲並未有統一的無遺囑繼承法。因此各州和領地的無遺囑繼承法不儘相同。在新南威爾斯州，《遺產繼承條例》裏面的第4章定明了適用於本州的無遺囑繼承法。

一般而言，按照新州法律，在未有訂立遺囑的情況下，先人的遺產會由血親繼承，包括配偶和經正式領養的子女。非婚生，經由人工受孕，和於先人過身時已經成孕的子女，同樣享有繼承權。在這個原則之下，繼子女和寄養子女並沒有繼承權。如無合資格的承繼人，先人的遺產會盡歸政府庫房。

因此，立下有效的遺囑甚為重要。遺囑給予訂立遺囑者決定個人財產分配的自由度，並且能夠減低出現爭產情況的可能。

本信息不能用作為法律意見。如對遺產繼承法有任何疑問，歡迎與本行的專業團隊聯絡。

(馮煜華見習律師撰寫)

What happens when someone dies without a will?

If someone dies without a will, or if the will was not made effectively in disposing the person’s estate, the rules of intestacy would apply. Intestacy rules determine who the beneficiaries are and what entitlements they have in the estate.

In Australia, the intestacy rules are not uniform across the various states and territories. In the state of New South Wales, the Succession Act 2006 (NSW) governs the ways that intestate estate would be distributed.

It should be noted that, intestacy rules generally distribute the estate to beneficiaries who are related by blood to the deceased, with the exceptions for spouses and adopted children. In addition to natural children and adopted children, ex-nuptial children and artificially conceived children as well as conceived but not yet born children are also considered to be children of the deceased. Stepchildren or foster children, however, have no right to inherit the estate. If there is no eligible person to inherit the estate, the estate would be given to the state.

Thus, making a valid will that effectively disposes of one’s entire estate is important, as it could ensure the person has freedom in deciding to whom and in what portions the estate would be distributed，and to minimise the chance for estate disputes.

This message cannot be used as legal advice. For assistance with will drafting and for more information about estate, please do not hesitate to contact our team.

(Posted by Dora Fung, Articled Clerk)