Legal Updates

05Apr2016

Legal update: Children’s Dispute Resolution in Hong Kong

Children’s Dispute Resolution, Practice Direction 15.13 becomes a permanent feature of Hong Kong Family Court practice. The Pilot Scheme on Children’s Dispute Resolution which began on 3 October 2012 came to an end on 31 March 2016 with Practice Direction 15.13 being formally adopted from…Read More

01Apr2016

Legal update: The Collaborative Divorce: A new approach

Is the collaborative approach right for you? Do you trust yourself and your partner to prioritise the needs of your family? Do you trust yourself and your partner to be open about your financial situation? Are you able to communicate with your partner openly and…Read More

03Mar2016

Are your employees stressed at work?

“In our daily work, there are many factors which may exert great stress on us, such as heavy workload or mundane job, poor working environment, long working hours, no clear working instructions, no job security, inharmonious relationships with colleagues and supervisors etc.” Labour Department, Occupational…Read More

03Mar2016

Legal wedding checklist when preparing for marriage

Marriage is a legal matter.  An important part of marital planning is to ensure that the implications of marriage on your legal status are well considered with ample time before the wedding.  Planning takes time.  Time will be short as the big day approaches. Consider…Read More

03Mar2016

Pre-nuptial Agreements FAQs, examples

With marital planning, wealth acquired by one’s own hard efforts before marriage could be protected from the financial consequences of divorce. This firm has seen an increased client demand for protection of wealth acquired before marriage including family businesses, interests in family trusts, investment properties,…Read More

18Feb2016

Will your inheritance count towards the matrimonial pot in your divorce?

The guidelines for how judges should deal with financial provision in a divorce case are set out by the Court of Final Appeal in the landmark case of DD v LKW (2010) 13 HKCFAR 537.  Generally after providing for the needs of both spouses any…Read More

17Feb2016

Legal update: Government proposes compulsory reinstatement and re-engagement of unreasonably dismissed employees

The Government published in the Gazette on 12 February 2016 the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2016.  The Bill seeks to amend the Employment Ordinance (Cap 57) (“EO”) to allow the Labour Tribunal (the “LT”) to order an employer to reinstate or re-engage an employee where the…Read More

12Feb2016

Marrying rich? Better safe than sorry.

Ranking 3rd in Forbes’s “Cities With The Most Billionaires In 2015”, it is common for married couples in Hong Kong to live lavishly through the generosity of family members but with no absolute entitlement to wealth. This begs the million dollar question, for spouses who…Read More

25Jan2016

Improperly obtained documents in divorce proceedings

For the court or parties to reach a decision on financial relief, parties are required to disclose their financial positions to each other fully and frankly.  The fight over financial relief in divorce cases can be long and bitter.  If you know or suspect that…Read More

14Jan2016

Validity and need for registration of foreign marriage in Hong Kong

When people speak of a white wedding, they used to mean the colour of the bride’s dress.  Now they are just as likely to be talking about the colour of the sand on the exotic beach where the ceremony was held. A survey has claimed…Read More

08Jan2016

Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Ordinance (Cap 623)

A. INTRODUCTION The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Ordinance (Cap 623) (the “Ordinance”) came into effect on 1 January 2016. The Ordinance modifies the doctrine of “privity of contract” which states that only those who are named in the contract and have signed it are…Read More

16Dec2015

Legal update: The Competition Ordinance – Leniency Policy

INTRODUCTION The Competition Ordinance (Cap 619) (the “Ordinance”) came into force on 14 December 2015.  Since our previous overview of the Ordinance (click here), the Competition Commission (the “Commission”) and the Competition Tribunal (the “Tribunal”) have been formally established.  The Enforcement Policy published by the…Read More