讀後心得

In October 2024, a family dispute arose in Shanghai, China, due to a will controversy, as Aunt Wang, the caregiver of the deceased elder, went to court against the elder's daughter. The elder specified in the will that Aunt Wang would have full authority to handle the burial at sea, but the daughter opposed this decision, leading both parties to eventually enter legal proceedings. The Shanghai High Court confirmed that Aunt Wang had rights to part of the estate as well as the authority to handle the burial at sea. Although Aunt Wang had obtained the inheritance, she insisted on following the elder's wishes and completing the burial at sea. After a compromise suggested by the judge, both parties ultimately agreed to jointly carry out the burial at sea, bringing the case to a satisfactory conclusion.

In October 2024, a family dispute triggered by a will controversy occurred in Shanghai, China, ultimately evolving into a lawsuit filed by the deceased elder's caregiver against his biological daughter. The elder clearly stated in the will that upon his death, he wished for a sea burial and entrusted his long-time caregiver, Aunt Wang, with full responsibility, prohibiting others from interfering. However, the elder's daughter opposed this, leading both parties to litigate.

According to reports, the Shanghai Higher People's Court announced on the 4th that Aunt Wang, as the elder's caregiver during his lifetime, was granted partial inheritance rights according to the will and was also designated as the sole person responsible for the sea burial ceremony. However, the elder's ashes were kept by his daughter, prompting Aunt Wang to file a lawsuit, claiming that the ashes should be handed over to her according to the will in order to fulfill the elder's wishes.

Aunt Wang's lawyer stated that despite having received a substantial inheritance, she insisted on carrying out the sea burial according to her employer's wishes, not for financial reasons. The elder's daughter and her husband questioned the caregiver's motives during the trial, arguing that "having received an inheritance, she still wants the ashes, which is unreasonable," and emphasized that the elder had originally been cared for by their family and that it should be the relatives handling the posthumous affairs. Aunt Wang responded that due to issues over the distribution of the estate, she had already been in conflict with the elder's daughter, and their relationship was tense. The elder's daughter felt perplexed that her father bequeathed his property to a non-relative, believing that he had gradually distanced himself from her after the loss of his spouse, even entrusting his final affairs to outsiders, which she found difficult to accept.

The judge initially suggested that both parties jointly handle the sea burial, but both Aunt Wang and the daughter refused; the former believed they could not work together, while the latter strongly opposed the caregiver's participation, leading to a standstill. During the legal proceedings, the court carefully examined the contents of the elder's will, confirming that although he explicitly designated the caregiver to handle the sea burial, it did not rule out the possibility of the daughter participating. Ultimately, the judge proposed a compromise: Aunt Wang would be responsible for applying for the sea burial, while the employer's daughter would carry the ashes onto the boat, allowing the burial service personnel to complete the ceremony. This proposal was agreed upon by both parties after negotiation.

In October 2024, the sea burial ceremony was successfully conducted as per the court's recommendation. Aunt Wang later withdrew her lawsuit, bringing the case to a satisfactory conclusion.