📝近一半澳洲人没有遗嘱?设立遗嘱这几点你可能不知道Nearly Half of Australians Have No Will — Here’s What Most People Get Wrong About Making One

【本文摘要】
近一半澳洲人身故时没有留下有效遗嘱。设立遗嘱本身在维州有明确的法定要求(《1997年遗嘱法》),流程并不复杂,但有几个关键细节经常被忽略——比如养老金和联名房产其实不受遗嘱约束,结婚会自动撤销原有遗嘱,网上遗嘱模板容易埋下身故后才会暴露的隐患。本文详解设立遗嘱的法定要求、哪些资产遗嘱管不到,以及什么情况下需要及时更新遗嘱。

作者:Chunqiu Hu | 维多利亚州执业律师 | HWC Legal Melbourne
最后更新:2026年7月


设立遗嘱本身不难,难的是很多人以为”写了就万事大吉”,却漏掉了几个关键细节
Subtitle: Writing a will isn’t hard — the trap is assuming “once it’s written, it’s done” while missing a few critical details

📌核心提醒:养老金、联名房产、信托和公司名下的资产,通常不受遗嘱约束——这是设立遗嘱时最容易被忽略、但影响最大的一点。
Core point: superannuation, jointly-owned property, and assets held in trusts or companies generally fall outside your will — this is the most commonly overlooked, highest-impact detail in estate planning.

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一、维州设立遗嘱的法定要求Victoria’s legal requirements for a valid will

    📋 基本条件
    📋 Basic conditions

    根据《1997年遗嘱法》(Wills Act 1997),设立遗嘱的人(称为立遗嘱人,testator)需要年满18岁,并具备”遗嘱行为能力”(testamentary capacity),即立遗嘱时神志清醒、understand自己在做什么、以及这份文件会产生什么法律后果。
    Under the Wills Act 1997 (Vic), the person making a will (the “testator”) must be at least 18 years old and have “testamentary capacity” — meaning they’re of sound mind and understand what they’re doing and the legal consequences of the document, at the time of making it.

    ✍️ 书面形式和签署要求
    ✍️ Written form and execution requirements

    遗嘱必须以书面形式作出(打印或手写均可),并且需要在两名独立见证人同时在场的情况下签署,两名见证人也需要在立遗嘱人在场的情况下签字确认。
    The will must be in writing (typed or handwritten), and signed by the testator in the presence of two independent witnesses at the same time — both witnesses must also sign in the testator’s presence.

    👥 见证人的身份限制
    👥 Restrictions on who can be a witness

    见证人本身最好不是遗嘱中的受益人——如果受益人本人担任见证人,可能会影响其获得遗产的资格,实践中建议选择跟遗嘱内容没有利益关系的第三方作为见证人。
    Witnesses should generally not be beneficiaries under the will — if a beneficiary acts as a witness, it can jeopardise their entitlement under the will. In practice, it’s best to choose witnesses with no personal interest in the will’s contents.

    💻 远程签署的特殊规定
    💻 Special rules for remote execution

    维州在2021年新增了远程签署遗嘱的相关条款(第8A-8D条),允许在特定条件下通过视频方式完成签署见证程序,但整个流程有严格的操作要求,必须逐项遵守,否则可能影响遗嘱的有效性。
    Victoria introduced specific remote execution provisions in 2021 (sections 8A-8D), allowing signing and witnessing to be completed via video under certain conditions — but the entire process carries strict procedural requirements that must be followed precisely, or the will’s validity could be affected.

    二、哪些资产其实不受遗嘱约束What assets actually fall outside your will

      💰 养老金
      💰 Superannuation

      这是最容易被忽略、但影响也最大的一点:养老金(superannuation)通常不属于遗嘱可以直接处理的资产,它的去向由养老金基金的受益提名(binding nomination)或基金受托人的裁量决定,如果没有做好相应提名安排,遗嘱里写了也可能不算数。
      This is the most commonly overlooked, highest-impact point: superannuation generally isn’t an asset your will can directly control. Its destination is determined by a binding nomination with the super fund, or the fund trustee’s discretion — if the nomination isn’t properly arranged, what your will says about it may simply not apply.

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      🏠 联名共有产权的房产
      🏠 Jointly-owned property (joint tenancy)

      如果房产是以”联权共有”(joint tenancy)的方式持有,一方去世后,产权会自动转移给另一位共有人,不受遗嘱内容影响;只有以”分权共有”(tenants in common)方式持有的房产份额,才会按遗嘱分配。
      If a property is held as “joint tenancy”, ownership automatically passes to the surviving co-owner upon death, regardless of what the will says. Only property held as “tenants in common” is distributed according to the will.

      🏢 信托和公司名下的资产
      🏢 Assets held in trusts or companies

      如果资产实际登记在家族信托或公司名下,个人遗嘱同样无法直接处理这部分资产,需要结合信托契约条款或公司架构单独规划,这也是很多有生意或投资的家庭容易忽略的一点。
      If assets are actually held under a family trust or company structure, a personal will can’t directly deal with them either — this requires separate planning aligned with the trust deed or company structure, a detail often missed by families with businesses or investments.

      三、什么情况会导致遗嘱自动失效或部分失效What can automatically invalidate a will, in whole or in part

        💍 结婚会自动撤销原有遗嘱
        💍 Marriage automatically revokes an existing will

        根据法律规定,结婚会自动撤销你此前已经设立的遗嘱(除非该遗嘱是专门为了这段婚姻而提前订立的),也就是说,如果婚后没有重新立遗嘱,你很可能处于”事实上无遗嘱”的状态。
        Under the law, getting married automatically revokes any existing will you’ve made (unless it was made specifically in contemplation of that marriage) — meaning if you haven’t made a new will after marrying, you may effectively be in an “intestate” position.

        💔 离婚会撤销给前配偶的相关安排
        💔 Divorce revokes gifts and appointments to a former spouse

        离婚通常会撤销遗嘱中给予前配偶的遗产份额,以及指定前配偶担任执行人的安排(前配偶在法律上被视为”先于你去世”),除非遗嘱中明确表示不希望产生这种效果。
        Divorce generally revokes any gift to a former spouse under the will, as well as any appointment of them as executor (the former spouse is legally treated as having predeceased you) — unless the will clearly states otherwise.

        ⚠️ 网上模板和遗嘱工具包的隐患
        ⚠️ The hidden risks of online templates and will kits

        网上购买的遗嘱模板或工具包,在最简单的情况下确实可能产生有效遗嘱,但实践中经常出现表述模糊、条款遗漏、或不符合具体执行要求等问题,而这些问题往往要到身故后才会被发现,那时已经很难补救。
        Online will templates or DIY kits can produce a valid will in the simplest cases, but in practice they frequently contain vague wording, missing clauses, or execution defects — problems that typically only surface after death, by which point they’re very difficult to fix.

        🏛️ 法院的补救权力,但不是万能的
        🏛️ The Court’s dispensing power — not a guaranteed fix

        如果遗嘱在形式上不完全符合法定要求,维州最高法院在特定情况下有权力”网开一面”,只要能证明该文件确实体现了立遗嘱人的真实意愿,依然可以被采纳为有效遗嘱(《1997年遗嘱法》第9条)。但依赖这条补救途径通常费用高、耗时长、结果也不确定,不应该作为设立遗嘱时的”保险方案”。
        If a will doesn’t strictly meet the formal requirements, the Supreme Court of Victoria has discretion under section 9 of the Wills Act 1997 to admit it anyway, provided it’s satisfied the document genuinely reflects the testator’s intentions. But relying on this pathway is typically expensive, slow, and uncertain — it shouldn’t be treated as a “backup plan” when making a will.

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        四、什么情况下应该更新遗嘱When you should update your will

          👶 人生重大事件发生时
          👶 Major life events

          结婚、离婚、生育子女,都可能直接影响遗嘱的法律效力,建议在这些事件发生后及时重新审视并更新遗嘱内容。
          Marriage, divorce, and having children can all directly affect a will’s legal effect — it’s worth reviewing and updating your will promptly after these events.

          💰 资产状况发生重大变化时
          💰 Significant changes in your financial situation

          如果获得了一笔此前遗嘱中没有考虑到的大额资产(比如继承、中奖、投资获利),也应该重新评估遗嘱是否需要调整。
          If you receive a significant asset your existing will didn’t account for — an inheritance, a windfall, or an investment gain — it’s worth reassessing whether the will needs adjusting.

          👥 家庭关系发生变化时
          👥 Changes in family relationships

          如果和遗嘱中原本指定的受益人关系发生了变化(比如产生重大分歧),也是需要重新考虑遗嘱内容的信号。
          If your relationship with someone named in the will has changed significantly (such as a serious falling-out), that’s also a signal to reconsider the will’s terms.

          ❓常见问题 FAQ

          Q1:网上买的遗嘱模板有法律效力吗?
          Are online will templates legally valid?

          A:在最简单的情况下可能有效,但实践中经常出现表述模糊或条款遗漏的问题,这些问题往往要到身故后才会被发现,届时很难补救。
          They can be valid in the simplest cases, but often contain vague wording or missing clauses — problems that usually only surface after death, when they’re very difficult to fix.

          Q2:养老金会按我遗嘱里写的分配吗?
          Will my superannuation be distributed according to what my will says?

          A:不一定。养老金通常不属于遗嘱可以直接处理的资产,需要单独向养老金基金做”受益提名”安排。
          Not necessarily. Superannuation generally falls outside your will’s control — it requires a separate binding nomination with your super fund.

          Q3:结婚之后,我之前立的遗嘱还有效吗?
          Is a will I made before marriage still valid after I get married?

          A:一般不再有效,结婚会自动撤销此前设立的遗嘱(除非该遗嘱是专门为这段婚姻订立的),建议婚后及时重新立遗嘱。
          Generally not — marriage automatically revokes an existing will (unless it was made in contemplation of that specific marriage), so it’s worth making a new will promptly after marrying.

          Q4:联名共有的房产会按遗嘱分配吗?
          Will jointly-owned property be distributed according to my will?

          A:如果是以”联权共有”方式持有,不会——产权会自动转移给另一位共有人;只有”分权共有”的份额才受遗嘱约束。
          Not if it’s held as “joint tenancy” — ownership automatically passes to the surviving co-owner. Only “tenants in common” shares are governed by the will.

          Q5:遗嘱形式上有瑕疵,是不是就完全无效了?
          If a will has a formal defect, is it automatically invalid?

          A:不一定。维州最高法院在特定情况下有权力采纳形式有瑕疵但确实体现真实意愿的文件为有效遗嘱,但这个途径费用高、耗时长,不应作为设立遗嘱时的保险方案。
          Not necessarily — the Supreme Court has discretion to admit a formally defective document if satisfied it reflects genuine testamentary intent, but this route is expensive, slow, and uncertain, and shouldn’t be relied on as a safety net.

          如果你还没有设立遗嘱,或者人生近期有重大变化(结婚、离婚、生子、资产变化),欢迎联系HWC Legal为你做详细的遗嘱规划评估。
          If you don’t yet have a will, or have recently experienced a major life change (marriage, divorce, having children, a change in assets), contact HWC Legal for a detailed estate planning assessment.

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          📧 info@hwclegal.com
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          参考资料:Wills Act 1997 (Vic);Supreme Court of Victoria公开政策指引
          Reference: Wills Act 1997 (Vic); Supreme Court of Victoria published policy guidance

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