Elderly people in China. Photo: IC

The first 20 elderly people braved heavy rain to get their grants of probate at a branch of China Will Registration Center in East China's Zhejiang Province on Friday.

The size and page setting of the certificate is very similar to a passport, and it also includes the registration information and a personal picture, according to 92-year-old Li Hua (alias) living in Hangzhou.

Li said her granddaughter is not filial as she does not come to see her or even call, so Li decided to make a will to prevent her granddaughter from inheriting any of her property. However, Li was later hesitant about whether she had made the right choice.

"What if my granddaughter changes and starts to care about me?" said Li.

Another man called Sun Chen (alias) said he had come to take the grant for his mother because she wants to leave all her property to him instead of both Sun and his wife.

Tan Renzi, director of the registration center, said that the reason why many elderly people rushed to get their grants of probate was because they were afraid of their children's spouses taking part of their inheritance and getting divorced later.

According to statistics from the Chinese Testament Library, 11.79 percent of people made a will to prevent the loss of family property resulting from their children's divorce.

Qianjiang Evening News