【本文摘要】
在维多利亚州，如果你没有立遗嘱就意外身故，法律不会按照你的真实意愿分配遗产，而是按照《1958年遗产管理法》的固定公式分配。其中最容易被华人家庭忽略的一点是：只要没有正式离婚，哪怕已经分居多年、甚至已经开始新的关系，法律上你的配偶依然是”合法伴侣”，依然有权继承你的遗产。本文详解维州无遗嘱继承规则、华人家庭常见误区，以及跨境资产可能面临的额外问题。
作者：Chunqiu Hu | 维多利亚州执业律师 | HWC Legal Melbourne
最后更新：2026年7月
在维州法律眼中，”分居”和”离婚”是完全不同的两件事，而这个区别可能决定你的遗产最终归谁
Subtitle: Under Victorian law, “separated” and “divorced” are legally worlds apart — and that difference can decide who inherits your estate
核心结论：只要法律意义上的婚姻关系没有正式解除，分居时间再长，都不影响配偶的法定继承权。
Core point: as long as the marriage hasn’t been legally dissolved, no matter how long you’ve been separated, your spouse’s statutory inheritance rights remain intact.
一、什么是”无遗嘱继承”What “intestacy” actually means
🔍 定义 Definition
在维多利亚州，如果你去世时没有留下有效遗嘱，法律上称为”无遗嘱身故”（intestate）。
In Victoria, if you die without a valid will, this is legally referred to as dying “intestate”.
这种情况不只发生在完全没写遗嘱的人身上——如果你写了遗嘱，但遗嘱没有covers你名下的全部财产，没被覆盖的那部分资产，同样会按无遗嘱规则分配，这叫”部分无遗嘱”（partial intestacy）。
This doesn’t only apply to people who never wrote a will — if you have a will but it doesn’t cover all of your assets, the uncovered portion is still distributed under intestacy rules, known as “partial intestacy”.
📖 法律依据 The governing law
维州的无遗嘱继承规则，规定在《1958年遗产管理法》（Administration and Probate Act 1958）第六分部，这套公式是”一刀切”的，不会考虑你生前的真实意愿、家庭关系的实际状况，也不会考虑文化习惯或个人期望。
Victoria’s intestacy rules are set out in Division 6 of the Administration and Probate Act 1958 — a one-size-fits-all formula that does not take into account your actual wishes, the real state of your relationships, or any cultural expectations.
二、最容易被误解的一点：分居 ≠ 离婚The most misunderstood point: separated does NOT mean divorced
⚠️ 关键误区The critical misconception
很多人以为，只要和配偶分居了、甚至已经开始了新的感情关系，原来的婚姻关系在法律上就”自动失效”了——这是错误的。
Many people assume that once they’ve separated from a spouse — or even started a new relationship — the original marriage automatically loses legal effect. This is incorrect.
在维州，只要没有正式办理离婚手续（离婚需要经过法院程序，通常要求分居满12个月后才能申请），你的法定配偶身份就一直有效。
In Victoria, unless you’ve formally completed a divorce (which requires a court process, generally after at least 12 months of separation), your legal spousal status remains valid indefinitely.
💸 这意味着什么 What this actually means
如果你没有遗嘱、意外去世，哪怕已经分居5年、10年，只要没有正式离婚，你在法律意义上的配偶依然会被认定为你的”合法伴侣”，依然有权按无遗嘱继承规则分得你的个人物品、一笔固定金额的”法定遗产份额”（statutory legacy），以及剩余遗产的一部分。
If you die without a will, even after 5 or 10 years of separation, as long as you haven’t formally divorced, your legally estranged spouse will still be recognised as your “legal partner” — entitled to your personal effects, a fixed statutory legacy amount, and a share of the remaining estate.
📊 具体金额 The actual figures
从2026年7月1日起，维州的法定遗产份额（statutory legacy）为$591,390，这笔钱会优先分给配偶，之后剩余遗产才会在配偶和子女之间按比例分配。
From 1 July 2026, Victoria’s statutory legacy is $591,390 — this amount goes to the spouse first, before any remaining estate is divided proportionally between the spouse and children.
三、为什么华人家庭特别容易踩这个坑Why Chinese families are especially exposed to this risk
🚫 文化忌讳Cultural taboo
在很多华人家庭的传统观念里，主动谈”身后事”、写遗嘱，会被认为不吉利，甚至是对长辈或伴侣的不尊重，导致很多家庭一拖再拖，从未真正把遗嘱这件事提上日程。
In many Chinese families, proactively discussing death or writing a will is seen as inauspicious, or even disrespectful to elders or a spouse — leading many families to keep putting it off indefinitely.
🌏 跨境家庭结构复杂Complex cross-border family structures
不少华人家庭存在”分居但不离婚”的实际情况——比如一方长期在澳洲、一方留在国内，双方名义上仍是夫妻，但实际生活已经分开多年，甚至各自开始了新的关系，只是从未走完正式的离婚程序。
Many Chinese families are effectively “separated but not divorced” — one spouse based in Australia, the other remaining in China, still legally married on paper but living separately for years, sometimes with new relationships, simply never having completed a formal divorce.
👨👩👧再婚/重组家庭Blended families
如果家庭中有前一段婚姻的子女、现任伴侣、以及双方共同的子女，无遗嘱继承的固定公式很可能产生跟你实际意愿完全不同的结果——比如你希望重点照顾现任伴侣和年幼子女，但按法律公式，前一段婚姻的成年子女也有法定继承份额。
If a family includes children from a previous marriage, a current partner, and children from the current relationship, the fixed intestacy formula can produce outcomes very different from your actual wishes — for example, you may want to prioritise your current partner and young children, but adult children from a previous marriage still have a statutory entitlement under the formula.
四、无遗嘱还会带来哪些实际麻烦Other practical problems that come with dying intestate
⏳ 资产被”冻结” Assets effectively frozen
在法院正式发出遗产管理令（Letters of Administration）之前，家人无法动用你的银行账户、无法处理房产，这个过程通常需要数月，期间家庭的日常生活可能因此陷入经济困境。
Until the Supreme Court issues Letters of Administration, family members cannot access bank accounts or deal with property — a process that typically takes months, during which the family may face real financial strain.
👶 未成年子女监护权空白No guardian appointed for minor children
无遗嘱继承制度不会为未成年子女指定监护人，如果夫妻双方都不幸身故，谁来抚养孩子将完全由法院根据其他因素另行裁定，而不是按照父母生前的真实意愿。
Intestacy does not appoint a guardian for minor children — if both parents pass away, who raises the children is decided by the Court based on other factors entirely, not the parents’ actual wishes.
🇨🇳 中国境内资产可能不被覆盖Assets in China may fall outside an Australian will
如果你在中国大陆还有房产、存款或其他资产，仅有一份澳洲遗嘱，通常并不能自动处理这部分海外资产的继承问题——中国的继承法律体系和程序与澳洲不同，建议就跨境资产单独咨询两地专业人士，确保两边的安排互相衔接、不产生冲突。
If you also hold property, savings, or other assets in mainland China, a single Australian will typically does not automatically resolve inheritance of those overseas assets — Chinese succession law and procedure differ from Australia’s, so it’s worth seeking coordinated advice in both jurisdictions to ensure the arrangements align rather than conflict.
五、我们的建议Our recommendations
✅ 立即行动Act now, not later
不需要等到”人生大事都定下来”才写遗嘱——遗嘱可以随着人生阶段调整更新，但前提是你得先有一份。
You don’t need to wait until “everything in life is settled” to write a will — a will can be updated as your circumstances change, but you need one to start with.
✅ 分居后尽快评估Assess your situation soon after separating
如果你目前处于分居但未离婚的状态，建议尽快重新审视自己的遗嘱安排（如果已有遗嘱），或者尽快立一份新的遗嘱，明确表达你现阶段真实的意愿。
If you’re currently separated but not divorced, it’s worth reviewing any existing will promptly — or making a new one — to clearly reflect your actual current wishes.
✅ 跨境资产单独规划 Plan cross-border assets separately
如果名下有中国境内资产，建议同时咨询澳洲和中国两地的专业人士，避免两份遗嘱互相冲突或遗漏。
If you hold assets in China, it’s worth consulting professionals in both Australia and China to avoid conflicting or overlapping arrangements.
❓常见问题 FAQ
Q1：分居后没有正式离婚，配偶还能继承我的遗产吗？
If I’m separated but not formally divorced, can my spouse still inherit my estate
A：可以。只要法律意义上的婚姻关系没有正式解除，哪怕分居多年，配偶依然被视为”合法伴侣”，依然享有法定继承权。
Yes. As long as the marriage hasn’t been legally dissolved, your spouse is still recognised as your legal partner and retains statutory inheritance rights, no matter how long you’ve been separated.
Q2：2026-27财年维州的法定遗产份额（statutory legacy）是多少？
What is Victoria’s statutory legacy for the 2026-27 financial year?
A：从2026年7月1日起为$591,390，这个数额会随消费者物价指数（CPI）每年调整。
$591,390 from 1 July 2026, and this figure is indexed annually based on the Consumer Price Index.
Q3：我在中国的房产和存款，会被我的澳洲遗嘱自动覆盖吗？
Will my property and savings in China automatically be covered by my Australian will?
A：通常不会自动覆盖，建议就跨境资产单独咨询两地专业人士，确保安排互相衔接。
Generally not automatically — it’s worth seeking coordinated advice in both jurisdictions to ensure the arrangements work together.
Q4：如果我们夫妻俩都不幸同时身故，没有遗嘱，孩子由谁抚养？
If both parents pass away without a will, who takes care of the children?
A：无遗嘱继承制度不会指定监护人，孩子的抚养安排将由法院根据其他因素另行裁定，而不是按照父母生前的意愿。
Intestacy doesn’t appoint a guardian — the arrangement will be decided by the Court based on other factors, not the parents’ wishes.
Q5：写遗嘱是不是要等到”想清楚一切”才可以？
Do I need to have everything figured out before I can write a will?
A：不需要。遗嘱可以随着人生阶段调整更新，重要的是先有一份反映你现阶段意愿的遗嘱。
No. A will can be updated as your circumstances evolve — the important thing is to have one that reflects your current wishes now.
如果你目前没有遗嘱，或处于分居但未离婚的状态，欢迎联系HWC Legal为你做详细的遗产规划评估。
If you don’t currently have a will, or are separated but not divorced, contact HWC Legal for a detailed estate planning assessment.
📞 0402 672 808
📧 info@hwclegal.com
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参考资料：Administration and Probate Act 1958 (Vic)；Victoria Statutory Legacy 2026-27财年公开数据
Reference: Administration and Probate Act 1958 (Vic); Victoria Statutory Legacy published figures for the 2026-27 financial year
