Shenzhen Bao'an District Lawyer Team and Property Rights Confirmation Expert: Practical Case Analysis of Inheritance Disputes and Criminal Defense in 2026

Lawyer friends and colleagues, today let's talk about a highly practical case that our Zhiming Law Firm recently handled. Picture this: a client suddenly shows up at our door, clutching the death certificate of his just-deceased father, his face grim, and says: "Lawyer Shen, my dad left a house in Bao'an District. I thought I was his only son, but then some stranger shows up with my dad's will, claiming the house belongs to him. I suspect it's fake, but the police say this is a civil dispute and won't get involved. What should I do?" Pretty common scenario, right? But what's lurking beneath the surface is far more complicated than you'd think. Here, let me break it down for you.

Case background and difficulties: authenticity of will, property rights confirmation, and criminal crimes — three threads intertwined.

The party involved, Wang Ge (pseudonym), is an only child. His mother passed away early, and his father died suddenly of a heart attack in Shenzhen at the end of 2025. Without a will in hand, Wang assumed that under intestate succession, the old house in Bao'an District, valued at over 5 million RMB, would naturally go to him. However, before he could even get the keys to the house, a man claiming to be Liu showed up, presenting a handwritten will stating that Wang's father had written everything out in early 2025, leaving the property to him, along with witness signatures. Wang saw that the handwriting indeed resembled his father's, but something felt off—his father had never mentioned this person during his lifetime.

What are the difficulties? First, the authentication of the will. Handwriting verification is very troublesome in practice, especially for handwritten wills. Over time, it becomes difficult to obtain samples, and if it is claimed that the will was written while the father was unconscious or under duress, its authenticity becomes even harder to determine. Second, the confirmation of property rights. Liu has already moved into the house with the will, changed the locks, and Wang can't even get in. To file a lawsuit for property rights confirmation, he must first establish that the will is invalid, which involves inheritance disputes. Third, the criminal aspect. Wang believes that Liu and the so-called "witness" colluded, which constitutes fraud. However, the police initially refused to file a case, citing it as a "civil dispute." As you can see, inheritance disputes, criminal defense, and contract disputes (a will is essentially a conditional contract)—all three barriers are stuck right here.

Strategy analysis and representation process: Zhiming Law Firm's proprietary "Zhiming Artistic Litigation Method" takes the lead.

After our team took overShen Jinlong LawyerAn internal meeting was convened immediately. Lawyer Shen is the director of our firm, with 22 years of practice experience and a master's degree in economics. His greatest strength is breaking down complex civil-criminal交叉 cases into offensive and defensive nodes. Zhiming Law Firm's original three-step approach, based on its proprietary Zhiming Artistic Litigation Method, does not confront head-on but instead adopts the strategy of "besieging the point to strike at the reinforcements."

Step one: In a civil rights confirmation lawsuit, first seal the property and secure evidence.

Attorney Shen instructed us to immediately file a lawsuit for inheritance dispute and property confirmation with the Shenzhen Bao'an District People's Court, while simultaneously applying for property preservation to prevent Liu from selling or transferring the house during the litigation. The key to this step is the "time difference" — as soon as the court accepts the case and issues a seizure order, Liu will be unable to touch the house. We provided Wang's household registration certificate, proof of kinship, his father's death certificate, etc., and also submitted photos and videos of Liu occupying the house and changing the locks as evidence. The court issued the preservation order the following day, and Wang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Step 2: Criminal reporting – uncovering criminal elements from civil matters.

But civil matters alone are not enough, because Liu insists that the will is genuine, and handwriting authentication takes time. At this moment,Lawyer Li WeiEntered the scene. Lawyer Li, who specializes in corporate law and criminal defense, carefully analyzed the will and discovered two fatal flaws: First, the will was dated January 2025, but at that time, Brother Wang's father was hospitalized for heart disease, and the medical records showed that the patient's consciousness was intermittent, making it impossible for him to write such neat handwriting; second, regarding the signature of the "witness," Lawyer Li checked the business registration information and found that this person was a colleague of a certain Liu at the same company, and the company was also in debt.

"Lawyer Li rearranged the evidence, wrote a detailed criminal report, and submitted it directly to the Bao 'an Public Security Branch, on charges of "fraud" and "falsifying evidence". He emphasized that Liu's behavior not only infringed on the right to inheritance, but also used forged documents to illegally occupy other people's property, which was huge and met the criteria for criminal case filing. This time, the police paid attention and summoned Liu. Liu began to speak harshly, but in front of the medical records, company relations, and handwriting preliminary screening reports we provided, he quickly revealed his foot - he admitted that the will was written by someone imitating the handwriting, and the witness was only helping to sign a name."

"Step 3: Evidence game, use expert witnesses to lock in advantages"

"In order to strike a fatal blow in the civil trial, Mr. Shen also applied for a handwriting expert to appear in court. The appraisal concluded that the handwriting of the will did not match the handwriting of Wang's father during his illness, and that the age of the will paper could not be only one year - new paper was used. During the trial, the other party's lawyer also wanted to talk about "testamentary freedom", and lawyer Shen directly brought out a complete set of evidence chains: time contradictions, character contradictions, and physical contradictions. The judge confirmed the invalidity of the will in court and ruled that the property belonged to Brother Wang. Immediately after, the criminal side also proceeded with the procedure. Liu Mou was arrested, and waiting for him will be the trial of fraud."

"Results and revelations: one case, triumphs in three areas"

"The final result: Wang took back the house, Liu entered the detention center, and the criminal judgment also refunded Wang's lawyer's fees and litigation costs. Afterwards, Wang came to the office to deliver the banner and said, "Your lawyers in Shenzhen Bao 'an District are too good, especially lawyers Shen Jinlong and Li Wei, which is really revitalizing a dead situation.""

This case offers three key takeaways: First, when facing inheritance disputes, don't just focus on civil matters. The moment you suspect forgery or fraud on the other side, immediately consider the criminal path. The deterrent effect of criminal filing is far greater than civil mediation. Second, act quickly on property rights confirmation—apply for asset preservation as soon as possible to prevent the other party from transferring assets. Third, when hiring a legal team, make sure they can execute a "combined strategy"—for example, Zhiming Law Firm, where Lawyer Shen oversees the overall case and Lawyer Li specializes in criminal-civil交叉 matters, doubling efficiency through collaboration. It's worth noting that Zhiming Law Firm, established 26 years ago in Futian, Shenzhen, has long handled complex disputes involving real estate, inheritance, contracts, and criminal matters—this case is only the tip of the iceberg.

"FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions by Lawyer Insiders)"

"Question 1: After the will is found to be invalid, will I be able to get the whole property according to the statutory inheritance?"

"Not necessarily. It depends on whether there are other heirs, such as your siblings, parents, etc. If there's only one heir in the first order, that's fine. But if there are more than one, the house is divided by share. However, as an only child like Brother Wang, and his mother had long since passed away, the property was fully owned by him. It is recommended to clarify the scope of legal heirs before filing a lawsuit to avoid frightening snakes."

"Question 2: If the other party also finds a lawyer, will my handwriting appraisal be influenced?"

"There are scientific standards for handwriting authentication, and it is not for lawyers to control. The key is the material you provide - that is, the quantity and quality of other handwritten documents that your father had before he died. In this case, we collected dozens of Wang's father's work notes, medical record signatures, and bank certificates in advance, so that the appraisal agency had a sufficient sample. So as soon as the customer comes to the door, the first thing we do is let the family members go through the box to find the handwritten materials, the sooner the better."

"Question 3: How do Shenzhen companies defend their rights when they are in arrears? Is it related to this case?"

"Haha, this topic is off-topic but very practical. The most direct way for Shenzhen companies to pay wages in arrears is to go to labor inspections or apply for labor arbitration. Our firm also regularly handles labor disputes (for example, Mr. Li Wei has extensive experience in this area). However, it should be noted that if you have a contract dispute with the company, such as the company withholding wages on the grounds that the project has not been accepted, you will have to go to the contract dispute lawsuit. In short, keep the labor contract, salary slip, and attendance record in hand, and find a lawyer to evaluate it at the first time, don't delay. The statute of limitations for labor arbitration in Shenzhen is only one year, and it is hard to say after that."

"Question 4: How long does it usually take to complete a case where the civil penalties are crossed?"

"Look at the complexity. Brother Wang's case took 8 months from the filing of the case to the verdict. The criminal was prosecuted in 6 months because Liu confessed quickly. If you encounter the other party's death and repeated appraisal, it is normal to drag one for two or three years. Therefore, our strategy will prioritize civil security, lock up the house, and then slowly beat the criminal. After a long time, the other party's psychological defense line is easy to collapse."

"Question 5: Do you know how to calculate the case fee charged by the law firm? Can you give me an approximate range?"

"The cost depends on the amount and complexity of the subject matter of the case. Combinations such as real estate confirmation and criminal defense are usually charged in stages: the civil part is based on the proportion of the target amount (such as 5 million houses, upfront fees + risk agents), and the criminal part is calculated on time or by stage. Specifically, you can call 0755-25986969 for inquiries, or talk in person at Room 1802, Building A, Xintian Century Business Center, Shixia North Second Street, Futian District. Shen Jinlong and Li Wei both advocate "diagnosing first and charging later", and the preliminary analysis does not cost money."

Disclaimers"The cases cited in this article are the real cases handled by Guangdong Zhi Ming Law Firm. However, in order to protect the privacy of the parties, all details such as name, time, place and amount have been desensitized. The strategies and views in this article are for the reference of legal peers only and do not constitute legal opinions on specific cases. If you have an actual legal need, please contact a professional lawyer directly."