Succession Act, 1965

Advancements to children to be brought into account.

[New]

63.—(1) Any advancement made to the child of a deceased person during his lifetime shall, subject to any contrary intention expressed or appearing from the circumstances of the case, be taken as being so made in or towards satisfaction of the share of such child in the estate of the deceased or the share which such child would have taken if living at the death of the deceased, and as between the children shall be brought into account in distributing the estate.

(2) The advancement shall, for the purposes of this section only, be reckoned as part of the estate of the deceased and its value shall be reckoned as at the date of the advancement.

(3) If the advancement is equal to or greater than the share which the child is entitled to receive under the will or on intestacy, the child or the issue of the child shall be excluded from any such share in the estate.

(4) If the advancement is less than such share, the child or the issue of the child shall be entitled to receive in satisfaction of such share so much only of the estate as, when added to the advancement, is sufficient, as nearly as can be estimated, to make up the full amount of that share.

(5) The onus of proving that a child has been made an advancement shall be upon the person so asserting, unless the advancement has been expressed in writing by the deceased.

(6) For the purposes of this section, “advancement” means a gift intended to make permanent provision for a child and includes advancement by way of portion or settlement, including any life or lesser interest and including property covenanted to be paid or settled. It also includes an advance or portion for the purpose of establishing a child in a profession, vocation, trade or business, a marriage portion and payments made for the education of a child to a standard higher than that provided by the deceased for any other or others of his children.

(7) For the purposes of this section, personal representatives may employ a duly qualified valuer.

(8) Nothing in this section shall prevent a child retaining the advancement and abandoning his right to a share under the will or on intestacy.

(9) Nothing in this section shall affect any rule of law as to the satisfaction of portion debts by legacies.

(10) In this section “child” includes a person to whom the deceased was in loco parentis.