Here’s why children of murdered model Abby Choi would have to wait 5 years for P2 billion inheritance
The children of Hong Kong model Abby Choi are left with HK$300 million (over P2 billion) inheritance after her brutal murder, but they would need to wait half a decade “for her estate to be settled by the court and inherited” because of a “possibly complex legal process.”
An insider explained to South China Morning Post that since her marriage with her grieving partner Chris Tam was not registered, her four kids—aged three, six, eight, and 10—will own her luxury estate after her death. “It will take four to five years before the court can settle this,” they said.
“Her heirs will need to wait for the conclusion of the murder case which may take years if the involved parties seek an appeal. Then there will be an inquest to conclude Choi’s cause of death, after which her death certificate will be issued. The whole process will be lengthy and complex,” they added.
Lawyer Jackson Poon pointed out that the estate grant and other inheritance matters could take a while to be finalized as the case investigation is still ongoing.
“Since Choi’s children are under the age of 18, under the probate law her children’s next of kin can apply to be appointed as the estate’s trustees and hold the children’s share in a trust, meaning they must keep the relevant assets properly on behalf of the children,” he said, adding that when they all turn 18, they could apply again to “dissolve the trust and formally receive their share” under a joint agreement.
In late February, the Hong Kong model was discovered to have been killed and dismembered amid a financial dispute with her ex-husband Alex Kwong and the latter’s family. Her partial remains have been discovered in a house set up as a butchery site, complete with an electric saw and meat grinder that had been used to mince human flesh.
After conducting a DNA test, authorities were able to determine that the skull that was found in a large soup pot and the two legs hidden in a refrigerator at the flat were indeed the remains of Choi.
Hong Kong police have arrested and detained seven suspects, including Kwong and the rest of his family.