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不久前香港的報章曾經報道過有申請TVP的騙案，牽涉到1000萬以上的資助款項。而現在有幾位客戶，一邊同我們申請，一邊喺警局協助調查，找回騙走他們錢的人。   ✅自證有實質運營愈來愈重要 無論係強積金MPF、租約、單據等，都要有條有理的羅列好，可謂缺一不可。 喺2024年，無論係申請BUD專項基金、TVP科技券，還是其他資助，一份完善的營運檔案成為申請資格的入場券。   ✅公司資料及時更新 申請的時候先發現登記證過期咗，年審的資料還沒開始弄，有的 【大頭蝦】甚至已經幾年沒做公司審計，公司嘅賬目更加亂到飛起。 這種情況喺實際情況中真係太常見了，雖然工作忙起嚟可能就真係沒辦法兼顧，加上請會計成本都高，但喺日常經營中，確保公司檔案及時更新都係不能夠忽視的本質工作。 如果有秘書公司的話，諸如年審、審計這些情況係會及時提醒的。   ❎不要以為萬事只要不講，秘書處就不知道 公司資料過期了？報價單不夠？公司地址填錯了？MPF資料不齊？  【沒事，先把這堆資料交上去！BUD專員未必會細看！】 你如果這樣想就大錯特錯！喺香港想騙資助被識破的消息多得是，負責個案的專員不僅會以查戶口般細緻的程度審閱每一份資料，更加會要求你對不合理的情況作出解釋，或者喺14日（非工作日）內完成資料的更新。 如果無法按要求完成，申請會被撤回，浪費的係自己的時間同精力。 所以，在提交申請資料之前，配合相關要求做好每一步，跟足指引規避不需要的雷點，才是申請成功的關鍵。

「BUD專項基金」（「發展品牌、升級轉型及拓展內銷市場的專項基金」）於 2012 年首次推出，資助非上市港資企業發展品牌、升級轉型及拓展內銷市場。在2018年至2020年期間，香港政府決定進一步擴大其地理範圍，以包括東南亞國家聯盟（東盟）和所有與香港簽署自由貿易協定的經濟體，從而創建兩個平行的計劃 - 即內地計劃和自由貿易協定計劃。   目標市場 BUD 現可為希望在與香港簽署了自由貿易協定的國家和東盟市場（除 “內地計劃 ”外）開展發展專案的香港公司提供服務： · 東盟市場包括 新加坡、泰國、印尼、汶萊、馬來西亞、柬埔寨、老撾、越南、菲律賓和緬甸。 · 自由貿易區市場包括：歐洲自由貿易聯盟的四個成員國（即冰島、列支敦士登、挪威和瑞士）、澳大利亞、新西蘭、智利、澳門和格魯吉亞。 · 在 2021 年 2 月公佈的《2021-22 年度香港財政預算案》中，專項基金的地域覆蓋範圍增加至 37 個國家，包括所有與香港簽訂自由貿易協議或投資促進及保護協定的經濟體： 奧地利、比利時、盧森堡、加拿大、丹麥、芬蘭、法國、德國、意大利、日 本 、 大韓民國、科威特、荷蘭、瑞典、阿聯酋、英國、墨西哥、中國內地、新西蘭、智利 、 澳門、冰島、列支敦士登、挪威、瑞士、印尼、泰國、新加坡、馬來西亞、菲律賓、越南、緬甸、文萊、柬埔寨、老撾、格魯吉亞、澳洲 。 時間期限 專項基金全年接受申請。申請的審批時間為香港生產力促進局（專項基金的執行機構）收到完整的申請書，連同所有所需的證明檔及澄清要求之日起計60個工作天（暫定）。每個獲批專案須於24個月內完成。 撥款方式 政府會以等額方式提供資助，即政府最多資助核准項目總成本的 50%，而企業須承擔不少於核准項目總成本的 50%。由 2022 年 11 月 7 日起，每家企業在內地及「自貿區」計劃下的累 積資助上限為港幣 700 萬元（包括審計費用），而每家企業的獲批項目 數目上限已增至 70 個。申請企業可選擇是否就獲批項目收取首筆款項(可能需要個人擔保)。 資助範疇 所有根據《商業登記條例》在香港註冊，並在香港有實質性業務的非上市企業均可申請。 項目涵蓋三個領域： 品牌 - 品牌策略、品牌建立、品牌推廣、品牌管理 升級轉型 - 新產品設計、採用先進科技、提升管理及物流系統、生產自動化 國內銷售--戰略規劃、銷售業務運營管理、管道管理、團隊組建與管理 BUD 基金可用於支付與在特定市場發展業務相關的業務費用。這些費用包括員工成本（最多不超過 50%）、新企業設立成本（最多不超過資金的 20%）以及以下活動產生的成本。 可由香港政府的 BUD 基金支付的費用： 商業登記 額外人手 品牌及市場推廣活動、商標註冊 新產品開發、原型設計、專利註冊 添置機器及設備 建立銷售管道、建立電子商務平臺，以及 產品測試和認證 專案監測和報告要求   期限超過 18 個月的專案必須提交一份進度報告和涵蓋前 12 個月的年度經審計賬目。進度報告應包括對照資助協議所附的 “核准專案建議書 ”中列出的專案實施計劃所取得的專案進展摘要，以及報告期內的收支報表。為期 18 個月或以下或 18 個月以上至 24 個月的專案均需提交最終報告和最終審計賬目。   如果您想瞭解更多有關BUD專項基金的資訊，或在申請時需要幫助，請立即與我們的專業顧問聯繫。

「品牌升級及拓展內銷市場的專項基金」（簡稱BUD基金）是香港政府發起的資助計劃，旨在協助本地企業發展品牌、升級重組業務，以及推動內銷走向其他市場。憑藉其廣泛的覆蓋範圍和擴大業務足跡的潛力，BUD專項基金為尋求財務支持和成長的公司提供了寶貴的機會。 我們深入探討BUD基金的基本資格標準，探討近期的發展，例如「Easy BUD」的推出和「電商易」的推出，並深入瞭解申請流程和資金分配方式。透過瞭解 BUD 基金的詳細資訊，企業可以抓住潛在的好處並利用其帶來的機會。 要獲得 BUD 基金的資助資格，企業必須滿足以下要求： 根據《商業登記條例》（第 310 章）在香港註冊的非上市公司。 在香港有實質業務運作的公司，包括聘用員工、繳納稅款及進行產品／服務交易等。 空殼公司或大部分主要業務在香港以外的公司不被視為有實質性業務。 最新發展： 推出 “Easy BUD ”和 “電商易”： 《2023 年財政預算案》宣佈推出 “Easy BUD”，以加快處理申請及協助中小企擴展業務。這一舉措旨在加快申請審批時間，為企業提供提前獲得資金的機會。此外，政府建議在 “專項基金 ”下推出 “電商易”，專門用於支持企業實施電子商務專案，資助上限為100萬元。 專項基金的申請和資格： 專項基金允許每家企業申請最多 70 個項目，每個項目的資助上限為 100 萬港元。每家公司的累計資助上限為 700 萬港元。政府最多支付核准專案總費用的 50%，其餘 50%由申請公司承擔。專案必須在兩年或更短時間內完成。 專項基金主要包括兩個計劃：“內地計劃 ”和 “自由貿易協定計劃”。這兩個專案針對不同的市場，前者側重於在中國內地的擴張，後者側重於海外擴張。不過，兩個計劃的申請程式和資格標準相似。 符合條件的專案類型： 專項基金的合格專案分為兩類： 整體商業計劃和具體措施的實施。整體業務計劃包括聘請合格的服務提供商制定品牌、升級和重組戰略，而具體措施的實施則側重於企業在這些領域實施自己的戰略。 符合資助條件的專案包括展覽/推廣活動、設計和建立網上銷售平臺、開發/改進用於推廣目的的移動應用程式，以及設計和製作宣傳材料。每個專案的資助額度各不相同，特定活動的資助額度也有一定限制。 審批程式及撥款分配： 專項基金全年接受申請，並由香港生產力促進局負責審批。審批時間視乎申請數目、複雜程度及所提交資料的完整性等因素而定。生產力促進局的目標是在收到完整申請後 60 個工作天內完成審批程式。 至於資金分配方面，企業有兩個選擇：可選擇在項目完成後一次過領取最後一期資金；或分兩期領取資金，即先領取第一期或中期資金，然後再領取最後一期資金。資金分配方式取決於專案進度和持續時間。   如果您有興趣瞭解政府為中小企業和公司提供的其他支持計劃，請隨時與SMEBro的專業顧問聯繫。

香港政府推出BUD FUND：一項專注於助力香港企業開拓和發展內地市場業務的專項基金補助，讓有意踏入內地市場的企業不用再為錢煩惱，企業投入1元，香港政府也支付1元，在公司投入不變情況下雙倍放大收益！ 一、專案資助金額 最完美的專案規模金額是200萬，按１比１的資助比例，企業付出100萬，港府資助100萬，剛好就夠完成一個200萬的專案。如果申請企業打算霸氣進軍內地市場，獲取足額700萬資助金額的最直接方法就是：申請7個規模達200萬的專案，獲批的話每個專案可得資助100萬，總共700萬的資助就到手了。換言之，企業花700萬元可以收穫相等於1400萬元的效果！ 二、BUD專項基金簡介 港府設立BUD專項基金就是希望讓萌芽期的中小企有更好的資源茁壯成長。基金自2012年推出至今，一直在不斷提高每家公司可獲資助的資金上限，由一開始時的50萬元提升至現在的700萬，這十年間政府在基金內注資六十億，審批逾960個專案，論資助力度之大、範圍之廣，在香港眾多資助裏稱得上是首屈一指。 三、企業申請資格 申請的香港企業需要具備哪些條件呢？如果你也有意申請BUD，可以仔細看以下４點，如果符合全部條件，可以明確告訴你：BUD已經在遠方向你微笑招手，提著水壺準備為你這小苗澆澆水，讓你快快茁壯成長！ 1.香港企業必須上市嗎？NO！BUD是資助處於萌芽期的企業，不是用作資助參天巨木再往上戳穿大氣層，所以已上市的公司是不能申請BUD的。 2.需要香港企業在港有實際營運嗎？YES！企業怎麼樣才算是有在港有實際營運呢？實際營運準確來講就是：有辦公室、有聘請員工、有業務、有審計報告。重點是所有「實際營運」都有相對應的文檔證明，證明文檔可以是租約／水電費單、人員強積金供款紀錄、發票／收據、上一年度的審計報告等。 3.如果BUD專案需要內地公司執行，香港企業與該內地公司有直接投資關係嗎？YES！申請的企業跟內地公司之間只要符合以下其中一個條件，就可以視為有直接投資關係1）申請企業持有內地業務單位≥ 51％的擁有權。2）持有申請企業 30％或以上擁有權的股東（自然人），亦同時持有內地業務單位 50％以上的擁有權。3）申請企業及內地業務單位由同一群股東（自然人）100％持有。   如果您想了解更多有關BUD專項基金的資訊，或在申請時需要幫助，請立即與我們的專業顧問聯繫。

在香港，隨著經濟環境的微妙變化，本地商家正經曆一場前所未有的考驗。一方面，北上消費的趨勢日益明顯，香港街頭巷尾的傳統店鋪逐漸顯得冷清；另一方面，內地新興品牌卻紛紛登陸這片繁華之地，如“太二酸菜魚”、“鮑師傅”等網紅店的入駐，無疑讓本地商家感受到了前所未有的競爭壓力。然而，在這看似艱難的時刻，卻有一群香港商家實現了業績的逆襲，甚至收入翻倍，他們是如何做到的？   第一步：緊跟潮流，北上創業開新篇 面對本土市場的飽和與競爭加劇，這些商家選擇了主動出擊，踏上北上創業的征途。他們深知，要留住顧客的心，就必須緊跟市場趨勢，主動求變。香港政府適時推出的BUD專項基金，正是為了支持像他們這樣勇於開拓的企業，提供高達700萬港幣的資助，用以幫助企業升級轉型，拓展內地乃至國際市場。這筆“天上掉下來的餡餅”，成為了許多商家北上創業的堅強後盾。   第二步：玩轉數字行銷，線上線下兩手抓 在資訊爆炸的年代，單純依賴線下推廣已不足以吸引眼球。這些商家學會了在內地流行的社交平臺上深耕細作，尤其是小紅書，以其獨特的種草文化，成為品牌打入內地市場的首選。他們通過精心製作的內容，不僅吸引了北上消費的香港人，更贏得了廣大內地年輕人的喜愛，成功構建起品牌與消費者的橋樑。   第三步：學規則，懂運營，避免水土不服  內地市場雖然龐大，但規則與香港大相徑庭。聰明的商家意識到，要在這裏立足，就必須深入瞭解內地的市場規則與消費者習慣。為此，他們不惜重金聘請內地行銷專家，或是組建熟悉當地市場的團隊，確保每一次行銷活動都能精准觸達目標群體，減少試錯成本，實現高效的市場滲透。   第四步：善用BUD，資金不再成難題  開拓新市場，資金往往是最大的障礙。幸運的是，BUD專項基金的存在，為商家解決了燃眉之急。通過合理規劃專案，許多商家成功申請到了高達100萬港幣的單次資助，為北上的征途提供了強大的資金保障。當然，這需要商家有明確的執行計畫，確保每一分資助都能用在刀刃上。   第五步：專業諮詢，讓每一步都走對  面對複雜的申請流程與嚴格的評估標準，一些商家選擇求助於專業的BUD諮詢顧問。這些顧問憑藉豐富的經驗，為商家提供從資質評估到專案策劃的一站式服務，大大提升了申請成功率，讓商家能夠更加專注於業務本身，少走彎路。   總而言之，香港商家在逆境中的逆襲，離不開他們敏銳的市場洞察力、勇於創新的精神以及對內地市場規則的尊重與學習。   還有老闆不明白如何申請BUD補貼嗎？不用怕！直接聯繫我們進行公司資質評估！

在香港商界，提及“BUD專項資金”，幾乎無人不曉。然而，面對這塊誘人的蛋糕，企業家們常常陷入迷茫——我的專案究竟夠不夠格？怎樣才能精准命中BUD的靶心？別急，我們將逐一拆解BUD背後的奧秘！   發展品牌：讓企業靈魂閃耀的四大法寶 品牌發展策略與定位：這是品牌的靈魂所在。你需要清晰勾勒出企業的未來圖景，巧妙策劃產品線，讓每一次服務都成為品牌故事的一部分。 品牌創建、設計及傳播：視覺衝擊力是第一印象的關鍵。一個獨特且具吸引力的品牌形象，加上有力的傳播策略，能讓品牌瞬間脫穎而出。 品牌管理：品牌是資產，需要精心呵護。通過定期評估和全面保護措施，確保品牌價值不受侵害。 品牌監控：知識產權是護城河，持續性的品牌調查則是雷達。瞭解市場動態，維護品牌權益，確保品牌可持續發展。   升級轉型：從內到外，重塑企業的鋼鐵之軀 商業模式升級轉型：從OEM向ODM乃至OBM的躍遷，是企業轉型升級的重要標誌，意味著更高附加值和更強市場競爭力。 產品創新與重新定位：不斷的產品迭代和精准市場定位，是企業永葆青春的秘訣。 物料與技術管理：優化供應鏈，擁抱智能製造，是提升效率、降低成本的關鍵。 管理與物流升級：引入世界級管理系統，強化物流能力，確保每一環都高效順暢。   拓展內銷市場：行銷為王，管道為翼 行銷策略規劃：精心策劃，讓行銷成為市場的破冰船，引領消費者心之所向。 行銷業務營運管理：從傳統到現代的華麗轉身，讓行銷不僅僅是推銷，更是品牌與消費者的情感聯結。 行銷管道管理：線上線下雙管齊下，多管道佈局，讓產品無縫觸達每一個潛在買家。 行銷團隊建設：人才是第一資源，打造一支戰無不勝的行銷鐵軍，是打開市場大門的金鑰匙。   綜上所述，想要順利申請到BUD基金，企業必須在發展品牌、升級轉型、拓展內銷市場三大領域下足功夫，既要高瞻遠矚，又得腳踏實地。快聯繫我們瞭解詳情吧！ 每一次細微的調整和創新，都是向著成功邁進的堅實步伐。現在，對照這份指南，審視你的專案，是不是更有信心了呢？勇敢邁出那一步，讓BUD基金成為你企業成長道路上的強大助力吧！

陳先生是一位充滿激情的創業者，他的科技創新型企業一直在尋求突破和發展，尤其是在拓展海外市場方面。幾個月前，他聽說了“企業發展支援計畫”（Business Development Support, BUD）能為企業提供寶貴的資金支持，便決定嘗試申請。然而，陳先生最近卻帶著一絲挫敗感找到了我們，他說：“BUD申請失敗了？我明明投入了大量時間和精力，怎麼還是沒有拿到這筆補貼？”他的話語中透露出困惑和不甘。  陳先生的經歷並不是個例，經常有客戶向我們反映，他們在申請BUD的過程中遭遇了重重困難，最終遺憾地與補貼失之交臂。今天，我們將結合陳先生的故事，從前期、執行中、後期三個階段深入剖析，探討申請BUD時那些常見的“坑”。   前期：細節決定成敗  陳先生在申請初期就遇到了第一個挑戰——繁雜的文檔提交。BUD作為一項時間跨度大、覆蓋範圍廣的補貼計畫，其申請門檻相對較高，要求企業提供詳盡的商業計畫書、財務預測及市場分析報告等。不幸的是，由於對某些具體要求理解不透徹，陳先生錯過了幾個關鍵文檔的補件日期，而這些文檔原本是可以補救的。此外，他提交的前期文檔並不充足，未能全面展示企業的實力與潛力，這讓評審團難以充分評估專案的可行性，從而錯失了寶貴的初審機會。   執行中期：經驗與記錄的缺失  進入執行階段後，陳先生帶領團隊積極開拓新市場，但在忙碌中忽視了文檔的累積和整理。BUD計畫強調的是實際成果與資金使用的透明度，而陳先生的公司在執行過程中，由於缺乏足夠的海外市場開拓經驗，導致資金使用效率不高，且未能系統性地記錄下每一步的成長與支出。當需要製作終期報告時，他們發現很多執行過程中的關鍵數據和證據缺失，這不僅影響了報告的完整性，也大大降低了評審的說服力。   後期：資料整理與合規審計的挑戰  到了申請的尾聲，陳先生面臨的是最讓人頭疼的環節——繁瑣的資料整理與審計。在這個階段，由於前期和執行中積累的問題，他們不得不花費大量時間來回溯、搜集補充材料。審計過程中，一些不經意的小錯誤被放大，比如賬目不清晰、支出證明不合規，這些問題都讓整個申請過程變得異常艱難。最終，儘管陳先生和他的團隊付出了巨大努力，但由於這些“坑”，他們的BUD申請還是未能如願通過。   結語  陳先生的故事提醒我們，申請像BUD這樣的大型補貼計畫，不僅要有明確的發展戰略和扎實的專案基礎，還需要在每個階段都做到細緻入微、合規有序。從仔細研讀申請指南、確保文檔的準確無誤，到執行過程中的有效管理和詳細記錄，再到後期的嚴謹審計準備，每一個環節都不容忽視。只有跨越這些“坑”，企業才能更順利地獲得所需的支持，推動自身的持續發展。

We understand that we will not take all our possessions with us after we die. Before that happens, we can make a will and distribute it to our spouse, children, or family, hoping that they can use your assets wisely later. Make the will is important in Hong Kong as a valid legal document to minimize the risk of disputes somewhere in the future. SMEBrother will provide guidance for you on several things you should know about will in Hong Kong, such as things to consider, what happens if you don't have will, etc. How to make the will Making a will require a lot of consideration, and you can consult an agency or someone who is an expert in the field so that you don't make a mistake in determining how your will is made. Make the will is necessary to reduce the risk of your family fighting over your assets, and you can make it according to your heart's wishes without any coercion from anyone. Before making a will, the main requirement is that you must be over 18 years old and physically and mentally healthy. Everything related to wills in Hong Kong is regulated in the Wills Ordinance (Cap. 30). For more details, you can read it from section 1 to the end. You can make a will by hiring a solicitor or by personal desire. The legal requirements for a will to be valid is that a will must be handwritten and signed by you. When you sign the will, there must be two witnesses who witness it directly, with the witnesses having to be over the age of 18. The witnesses cannot be a beneficiary of your will, so you have to prepare this person, who can be from the solicitor or from a family that has nothing to do with it. The will can be written in any language, but it is preferred to use Mandarin or Chinese, compared to English or other languages. This will make it easier for the will recipient to take care of it because things are not complicated, and you don't have to bring in a language expert to take care of your will in Hong Kong. To make it easier for you to make a will, the following things must be present: A will from your personal writing A will with your signature (inked thumbprint, stamped signature, initials, a name, mark of any shape) Or from other people according to the will maker's direction and presence The testator must intend to execute the will with his/her signature Sign the will with the presence of two witnesses at the same time Each witness validates and signs the will or acknowledges the signature, in the presence of the testator (but not necessarily in the presence of other witnesses). Although no form of attestation is required, it is usually more appropriate to include an attestation clause in the will Don't choose witnesses from your immediate family, because section 10 of the Wills Ordinance shows that witnesses cannot be from someone who is the beneficiary of your will or they will lose the right to handle your estate For clarity of your will, date your will before signing, and place the signature at the end of the contents of your will. The witness can sign next to yours while you and the witness seeing each other's signatures in accordance with section 5 of the Wills Ordinance What if one day you want to change the contents of the will or revoke the will for some reason? You can create a new will by taking the same steps as above to revoke the previous will. As clarity for your new will, tear up the original one to avoid any confusion or challenge to the new will. Things to consider before make the will The main thing in a will is the intention of the person making the will and the person's capacity when making the will. A Will will be valid if a testator can show their intention about the will which takes effect upon their death, and their capacity when making the will. A testator can indicate their intention by starting words in the will such as "This is the Last Will and Testament of [a name]" or hiring a solicitor to write the will. If you are blind or cannot read or write, or want someone to sign the will on your behalf, you must indicate that you approve the content of the will when signing. You can ask one of the witnesses to read the contents of the will until the matter of making the will is finished. Making a Will in Hong Kong A testator can show their capacity if they are over 18 years old and have the mental capacity to know the content of the will and agree with the content in the will. If a testator were extremely ill or mentally ill, or under medication, they need to prove that during production they were aware and agreed to the will content until a signature was added. The court requires proof that at least one medical practitioner checked the mental capacity of the ill testator before a will is valid, while witnessing the entire process. If there is undue influence or fraud is detected, then the will can be challenged. What happens when you don't make the will? The deceased's assets are distributed in accordance with the Intestates' Estate Ordinance. This means that the spouse, descendant(s), siblings, or other family members can be entitled to inheritance. There is a level of priority for someone who obtains permission to manage the deceased's person's assets using the Grant of Letters of Administration which is regulated in rule 21 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules. Unlike you who have a will, someone you name in the Will will get a Grant of Probate. The inheritance will be arranged according to what you write and how you will divide the assets. Ensure that you can check your active will, and take care of it if you want it to be changed or revoked for some reason. Making a will is easy, but you need someone who is an expert and can guide you from the first steps of making a will until the will is valid. SMEBrother can help you with all matters regarding wills, from administration to comprehensive will consultations. SMEBro provides professional notarization services to ensure that the estate can be properly managed and distributed. 💪💪 Services include: ✅ Estate Survey and Assessment: A comprehensive survey and assessment of the estate will be conducted to ensure that all assets and liabilities are clear. ✅ Legal process guidance: A professional legal team will assist you in completing various legal procedures required for inheritance distribution to ensure that everything is legal and compliant. ✅Careful follow-up throughout the entire process: We have professional teams from Hong Kong and Mainland China who are familiar with inheritance matters and can help you break barriers and successfully inherit your inheritance.

A person will usually leave a will for their family long before they die. But if there is a special event such as someone dies without a will, then in Hong Kong the estate will be divided and managed in accordance with existing laws. Before we learn about how it is distributed when someone dies and whether there is a valid will or not, we need to know about the meaning of probate, the Probate Registry, and several cases regarding probate. Hope this article will help you regarding probate when learning more about wills in Hong Kong. What is probate meaning? Probate is a court order that authorizes one or more people to manage the deceased's inheritance in accordance with the instructions in the Will. This person is called the executor. The inheritance in question can be money in bank accounts, company shares, house, real estate, cars, and other assets left under the deceased's name. Probate is a general term for legally processing the rights in an estate. Probate is needed to handle the assets of someone who has died, especially for relatives who are not left with a will. Why was the Probate Registry established? Any inheritance issues will be regulated by the Probate Registry, and the Probate and Administration Ordinance (Cap.10) delegates the authority to issue Grants to the High Court. The Registrar of the High Court is required to exercise these powers and process all applications that do not give rise to disputes. The Probate Registry has been established as an integral part of the Judiciary to assist it in carrying out its duties. What does the Probate Registry do? The Probate Registry assists the Registrar in processing applications and submitting requisitions to ensure that Grants will be awarded to the correct person according to the law. This also assists him in carrying out other functions according to law including carrying out the functions of Official Administrator. Everyone who wants to take care of a will left by one of their family members must understand the probate meaning and get probate, because for simple and straightforward cases it takes a long time, around 5 to 7 weeks on average. If the nature of the estate is complicated, the time required will be longer. Issues that need to be considered with or without a will When a person dies, there may be an estate left under the deceased's name. A Grant of Representation from the Probate Registry of the High Court must be in place to administer the deceased's assets, whether the deceased has made a will or not. A Grant of Representation acts as proof that someone has the right to deal with the deceased's estate. There is always the question of which jurisdiction (the laws of which country) should regulate the administration and succession of the inheritance if there are foreign elements involved. For example, the deceased person was not a resident of Hong Kong, but left property in Hong Kong, or the deceased Hong Kong person may have owned property abroad. In general, the following rules might provide a reference answer: Succession to "immovable assets" (buildings, flats, land) is regulated by the law of the place where the assets are located. For example, if a Hong Kong resident owns a flat in the UK, the flat will usually be governed by UK succession laws after your death. The succession of “movable property” (personal effects, money, company shares) is regulated by the law of the place of domicile of the deceased person on the date of death. For example, the movable property of a deceased person who was a resident of the UK is usually governed by English succession law, wherever the property is located. The differences between estate with a will and without a will A Grant of Representation is the collective term for a Grant of Letters of Administration or a Grant of Probate. Probate meaning will be influential here, because a Grant of Probate is a Grant given to the executor (male) or executrix (female) named in the last Will of the deceased person. If there is no executor/executrix written in the Will, or there is no Will, someone who wants to administer the deceased's estate must obtain a Grant of Letters of Administration. This Grant is given to administrators who include the next-of-kin (the deceased's spouse, children, parent, uncle, siblings, etc.). Probate - Six Simple Steps in Handling and Distributing the Estate of a Deceased Person A Personal Representative is an executor/executrix or an administrator. The Personal Representative has the authority to deal with the estate, such as arranging the distribution of assets to the beneficiaries. With a will It needs to be clear for all the assets inherited from someone who has died, that the assets that will be managed or distributed must settle all debts, administration expenses, and other beneficiaries first. If the deceased person has written down who the executor/executrix is, then that is the only person who is entitled to apply for a Grant of Probate. What if the executor/executrix does not want to take up the appointment or there is no executor appointed by the deceased survivors? The person entitled to the residual legacy in the Will can apply for a Grant of Letters of Administration. Once all conditions are met, the person is entitled to the remainder of the deceased's estate. Without a will If no Will is found or the Will has been revoked, the law of intestacy will determine who is the rightful person who can apply for a Grant of Letters of Administration. There is an order of priority regulated in rule 21 of the Non-Contentious Probate Rules (Cap. 10A of the Laws of Hong Kong): surviving husband/wife or surviving partner or union of concubinage (second and subsequent wives taken during the lifetime of the first wife) entered into before 7 October 1971 Direct descendants of the deceased or any children born of a union of concubinage during the life of the first wife entered into before 7 October 1971, or descendants of the child who died during the deceased person's lifetime The parent(s) of the deceased Siblings of the deceased or descendants of the deceased's brothers or sisters who died during the deceased's lifetime. The High Court also has the authority to appoint someone who is not included in the hierarchy to manage the inheritance. This power is useful if the closest relative of the deceased, who should have the right to be appointed as administrator, is under 21 years of age or does not have sufficient mental or physical capacity to manage the estate.   Is Probate meaning confusing for you? Or do you already understand a lot about Probate and Will? Don't worry because SMEBrother will help with everything you need, starting from making a Will, managing a Will, or whatever difficulties you have regarding a Will. SMEBro provides professional cross-border estate notarization services to ensure that the estate can be properly managed and distributed. 💪💪 Services include: ✅ Estate Survey and Assessment: A comprehensive survey and assessment of the estate will be conducted to ensure that all assets and liabilities are clear. ✅ Legal process guidance: A professional legal team will assist you in completing various legal procedures required for cross-border inheritance distribution to ensure that everything is legal and compliant. ✅Careful follow-up throughout the entire process: We have professional teams from Hong Kong and Mainland China who are familiar with inheritance matters and can help you break cross-border barriers and successfully inherit your inheritance.