Wills and probate issues surround Stanley Ho's estate

An inheritance battle over the estate of Stanley Ho, a Macao casino tycoon, has seen his family argue over a share transfer made by the business magnate.

This week Mr Ho's casino, SJM Holdings, announced that a 32 per cent stake he held in the company's parent firm, Sociedade de Turismo de Macau, had been transferred to his third wife and the children from his second marriage, the Financial Times reported.

The move has caused an inheritance dispute with Mr Ho's offspring, of which at least 16 are known.

A lawyer for the 89-year-old said that Mr Ho had not given his consent for the transfer, which they branded a "robbery".

However, those who benefitted from the transfer arranged for the businessman to sign statements saying that he had agreed with the transfer, which they then made public.

In addition, a dispute last year over Walt Disney's will highlighted the importance of seeking inheritance advice to avoid family arguments. The Arizona Republic said that those involved in the dispute travelled to a probate court in Maricopa County to deal with the matter.

Published by Hannah Carr