Kids' Rights Over CNY Money

Chinese New Year means children receiving a lot of red envelopes

This is an interesting case -- a 10-year-old boy successfully sued his father to give him back the money he received from Chinese New Year from his parents' friends and family.

Usually parents keep the lai see or hong bao for their children and deposit it into the bank for safe keeping. In this case, the father, surnamed Su, deposited 3,000 yuan (US$443) in the child's bank account from February 2014 to March 2015.

Children in China can receive lots of money from hong bao

In March 2016, Su withdrew the entire amount plus interest without his son's permission. He may have done this because his son began living with his mother until she applied for custody of him in December 2015, which was granted the following April.

During the case, which was heard in Baiyun District Court in Guangdong province, Su claimed the money was given to the child by his friends and relatives who were unrelated to the mother. He also said he had promised his son to return the money, together with interest, when he grew up.

In the end the judge ruled the child had the rights over his savings account and ordered the father to give him back 3,045 yuan.

No touching my hong bao! The court says so!

It's intriguing the court decided to hear this case. Perhaps it had received several of these requests and wanted to lay down the law on parents taking their kids' Chinese New Year money without their knowledge.

So parents -- don't even think twice about taking your kids' lai see money -- it's theirs!