A UK will and a Chinese property: two procedures, not one
A UK-domiciled estate included a property in China. The will had never been given effect in China, and the family assumed the UK probate covered everything.
Background
A UK-domiciled estate included a property in China. The will had never been given effect in China, and the family assumed the UK probate covered everything.
What was done
The will was authenticated and translated, and a separate application was made in China over the China-situated property, including evidence about how the will had been executed.
Outcome
The Chinese property was transferred to the intended beneficiary, with the UK estate administered separately in parallel.
Why this pattern recurs
Probate in one country does not release assets in another. Running both procedures in parallel from the start is what keeps the timeline from doubling.
If your situation looks similar
Send the facts in one message: where the marriage was registered, where each party lives now, where any children are, and where the assets are held. That is usually enough to say whether a China route exists, and there is no charge for that first review.
Points to take away
- Probate in one country does not release assets in another. Running both procedures in parallel from the start is what keeps the timeline from doubling.
- The Chinese property was transferred to the intended beneficiary, with the UK estate administered separately in parallel.
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