Tycoon’s last will set aside by Hong Kong court

14/04/25

After a six week trial before the Hong Kong court, Wilson Chan J has set aside the last will of a wealthy Hong Kong tycoon, Lim Por Yen, on the grounds that he lacked capacity. The trial was covered daily in the Hong Kong press. In a 140-page judgment, the judge held that Mr Lim had Alzheimers and moderate to severe dementia at the time of execution of the will and both lacked capacity and did not have knowledge and approval sufficient to execute the will. The will was procured by Mr Lim’s second family, with whom he lived, eight weeks before he died and had the effect of disinheriting the third family, who sought to set it aside, in favour of the second family.  The judge held that almost of all the many witnesses called for the purpose of supporting the will lied about the circumstances of its execution, and in particular in relation to what happened at a meeting attended by a members of the second family, lawyers and doctors for the purpose of executing the will.

The judgment is here