Author: To & Co Lawyers

未订立遗嘱情况下资产该如何分配

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)

澳大利亚联邦家事法对财产分配诉讼的时间限制

 

在你和你的丈夫或妻子离婚时，有一些关于财产分配诉讼的问题你需要首先考虑到的。其中的一个首要问题是发起诉讼的期限。当你考虑是否应该发起诉讼的时候，你必须考虑到到底你发起诉讼的时间是否在规定的时间限制之内。根据澳大利亚联邦家事法第44条所述，关于财产分配官司的期限为离婚后的12个月内，或同居关系结束后的两年内里，你必须发起诉讼，否则过期无效。

不过，凡事也有例外的，而有些例外可以让你超过期限也能发起诉讼。在澳大利亚联邦法律上，如果你因为没有发起诉讼亦无法取得一定的财产，而导致你财政上出现 “困苦”(hardship)的情况，你仍可以在超过规定之期限后发起诉讼。另外一个例外就是如果你是赡养费(spousal maintenance)的申请人，而你因为在没有资产入息审查的退休金、津贴、救济金下无法在财政上支持自己的生活的话，你也可以在超过规定之期限后发起诉讼。然而，如果你们已经有一个双方同意的最终法庭命令或由法庭所颁发的最终命令，你就无法再使用以上的例外了。

当然，澳大利亚也有一些很特别的财产分配案件。如果你从来没有向法庭申请正式离婚而只分居的话，你还可以有机会去要求法庭受理你的财产分配诉讼的。

(邓丞轩见习律师撰写 – 本信息不能用作为法律意见。如有须要，请与本行联系)

澳洲聯邦家事法對財產分配訴訟的時間限制

在你和你的丈夫或妻子離婚時，有一些關於財產分配訴訟的問題你需要首先考慮到的。其中的一個首要問題是發起訴訟的期限。當你考慮是否應該發起訴訟的時候，你必須考慮到到底你發起訴訟的時間是否在規定的時間限制之內。根據澳洲聯邦家事法第44條所述，關於財產分配官司的期限為離婚後的12個月內，或同居關係結束後的兩年內裡，你必須發起訴訟，否則過期無效。

不過，凡事也有例外的，而有些例外可以讓你超過期限也能發起訴訟。在澳洲聯邦法律上，如果你因為沒有發起訴訟亦無法取得一定的財產，而導致你財政上出現 「困苦」(hardship)的情況，你仍可以在超過規定之期限後發起訴訟。另外一個例外就是如果你是贍養費(spousal maintenance)的申請人，而你因為在沒有資產入息審查的退休金、津貼、救濟金下無法在財政上支持自己的生活的話，你也可以在超過規定之期限後發起訴訟。然而，如果你們已經有一個雙方同意的最終法庭命令或由法庭所頒發的最終命令，你就無法再使用以上的例外了。

當然，澳洲也有一些很特別的財產分配案件。如果你從來沒有向法庭申請正式離婚而只分居的話，你還可以有機會去要求法庭受理你的財產分配訴訟的。

(鄧丞軒見習律師撰寫 – 本信息不能用作為法律意見。如有須要，請與本行聯絡)

The time limit of property division proceedings under the Australian Family Law

There are some preliminary issues that you need to consider when you think about dividing property with your husband or wife when you divorce from him or her. One of them is time limit. You need to commence your proceedings within the time limit set out in the relevant law. For property division matter, the time limit is within 12 months after divorce or 2 years after the end of a de facto relationship under section 44 of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth).

Some exceptions, however, allow you to go over the time limit. The first exception is that if a proceeding had not been instituted and you could not have obtained some property, thereby giving you hardship. The second is if you are an applicant for spousal maintenance and you would have been unable to support yourself without an income tested pension, allowance or benefit, you will be able to commerce proceeding against your former partner even after the time limit. However, the exceptions do not apply when there is a final consent or court order.

In some exceptional cases, if there is no divorce but only separation , the parties may be able to ask the court to make an order in relation to property division after years.

(Posted by Hugo Tang, Articled Clerk – This message cannot be used as legal advice. If needed, please feel free to contact us).

澳洲学生签证类别500新英语要求－取消 TOEFL- PBT 托福笔试

TOEFL 托福考试为其中一款最普遍用作申请澳洲签证时证明英语能力的考试。托福考试可分两种：笔试（PBT）及 网络考试（iBT）。

托福笔试曾是申请澳洲学生签证（签证类别500）其中一款受政府认可的英语能力认证。但托福笔试于2017年10月14日作出修改后，将不再测试考生的英语说话能力。基于上述变动，签证类别500将有最新规定：签证申请人将不可再以托福笔试的成绩证明其英语能力。此项新规定已于2018年6月5日生效。

纵然如此，部分学生签证类别500的申请人将不受影响。若申请人在2017年10月14日前完成托福笔试，而成绩达至签证申请的最低要求，将不受新规定所影响。同时，若申请人在2017年10月14日后、但在新规定生效日期（即2018年6月5日）以前，完成托福纸笔考试并达到申请签证最低要求的成绩，亦不受新规定所影响。

(冯煜华见习律师撰写 – 本信息不能用作为法律意见。如有须要，请与本行联系)

澳洲學生簽證類別500新英語要求－取消 TOEFL- PBT 托福筆試

TOEFL 托福考試為其中一款最普遍用作申請澳洲簽證時證明英語能力的考試。托福考試可分兩種：筆試（PBT）及 網絡考試（iBT）。

托福筆試曾是申請澳洲學生簽證（簽證類別500）其中一款受政府認可的英語能力認證。但托福筆試於2017年10月14日作出修改後，將不再測試考生的英語說話能力。基於上述變動，簽證類別500將有最新規定：簽證申請人將不可再以托福筆試的成績證明其英語能力。此項新規定已於2018年6月5日生效。

縱然如此，部分學生簽證類別500的申請人將不受影響。若申請人在2017年10月14日前完成托福筆試，而成績達至簽證申請的最低要求，將不受新規定所影響。同時，若申請人在2017年10月14日後、但在新規定生效日期（即2018年6月5日）以前，完成托福紙筆考試並達到申請簽證最低要求的成績，亦不受新規定所影響。

(馮煜華見習律師撰寫 – 本信息不能用作為法律意見。如有須要，請與本行聯絡)

New English Language Requirements for Student Visas

The Test of English as a Foreign Language Test (ie. TOEFL) is one of the most common English tests for visa applicants to fulfil the English language requirements when applying for visas in Australia. There are two types of TOEFL tests:  paper-based test (TOEFL-PBT) and internet-based test (TOEFL-IBT).

When applying for student visa (sub-class 500), the TOEFL-PBT was previously one of the recognized proof of an applicant’s English language proficiency. However, the TOEFL-PBT had been revised on 14 October 2017 and would no longer test candidates’ English-speaking skills.[1] In light of this change, the Migration (IMMI 18/015: English Language Tests and Evidence Exemptions for Subclass 500 (Student) Visa) Instrument 2018 stipulates that the TOEFL-PBT would be removed from the list of recognized English language test for student visa (sub-class 500) applications.[2] This change had been effective from 5 June 2018.

Despite the removal of TOEFL-PBT, student visa (sub-class 500) applicants would not be affected by the abovementioned changes, if the applicant had completed the TOEFL-PBT before 14 October 2017 and achieved the specified test score, or for those applicants who completed the TOEFL-PBT on or after 14 October 2017 but prior to the commencement day of 5 June 2018 and had achieved the requisite scores.

For latest updates of changes in immigration law and assistance in visa applications, please do not hesitate to contact our team for more information.

(Posted by Dora Fung, Articled Clerk – This message cannot be used as legal advice. If needed, please feel free to contact us).

[1] Federal Register of Legislation, Explanatory Statement: Migration (IMMI 18/015: English Language Tests and Evidence Exemptions for Subclass 500 (Student) Visa) Instrument 2018; Richard Johnson, Immigration Citizenship and Multiculturalism Policy Division and Delegate of the Minister for Home Affairs, Migration (IMMI 18/015: English Language Tests and Evidence Exemptions for Subclass 500 (Student) Visa) Instrument 2018, Sch. 1 and Sch. 2.

[2] Ibid.

 

De La Salle Secondary School, N.T.

De La Salle Secondary School, N.T. was the third high school established by the De La Salle Brothers in Hong Kong. I spent my years of Form 1 and Form 2 at this great countryside school, which was then under the headmastership of Rev. Brother Alphonsus Breen FSC (sadly late) and was a boys-only institution. The School possessed strong British characteristics.

These two years saw my embarkment on the journey towards manhood. It was also during this time that I bought my very first law book, “Learning the Law” (11th Ed – written by Professor Glanville Williams) from Swindon Books in Kowloon. 

(Posted by Clifford To)

新界喇沙中學乃天主教喇沙修士會於香港所開辦的第三所中等教育學府。愚有幸於該校就讀中一和中二年級。其時，孤身從愛爾蘭來港的亞爾豐索修士 (已故) 為母校校長，而學校只取錄男生。在很多方面，當時的新界喇沙中學可以稱得上”非常英式”。

兩年的喇沙生活為混沌的童年畫上了句號。而愚所擁有的第一本法律書籍: “Learning the Law” (11th Ed – written by Professor Glanville Williams)，實為於喇沙中學就讀期間，購入自九龍辰衝書店。

(陶建文律師撰寫)