Hong Kong will-writing specialist wants to take the stress out of subject many want to avoid
- In superstitious Asian cultures, death and wills are often still a taboo subject, but dying without one can create expensive legal complications
- Amy Kwan wants to create a pleasant will-writing experience that encourages people to talk openly on the topic
Amy Kwan wants to clear up a few misconceptions about making a will.
“A lot of people think that only the wealthy or the elderly require a will, which is not the case,” says the Hong Kong lawyer. “People don’t familiarise themselves with the laws on the subject, so when someone dies without a will, it can be very complicated and expensive, and bring a lot of stress and uncertainty to the deceased’s family and loved ones.”
Kwan says if a person dies without a will, the law dictates who is the beneficiary and how much each person, usually the spouse and children, will receive. How this is done varies from country to country.
“But in a case where a person without children dies without a will, then people assume the spouse would be the only beneficiary when in fact the parents of the deceased may also be entitled to a share … many people are unaware of this,” Kwan says.
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She adds that on top of the heartache of losing a loved one, people then have to consult a lawyer to help solve the situation and this can become stressful and expensive. “A lawyers’ clock starts ticking as soon as they sit down.”