08/08/2024
DID YOU KNOW???
When you are legally married and decide to separate from your spouse but NOT get legally divorced, that spouse is still your legal next of kin??
They are still the one who we are required to talk with, they are who the funeral home has to talk with to make arrangements, they make ALL decisions!
It doesn't matter how long you have been separated, how long it has been since you have seen or talked to them, or if your family doesn't know how to contact them, they are still the legal next of kin. So, if nobody can contact them, then you have to stay in the morgue and possibly become indigent.
So, what should you do????
If you are parting ways with your spouse, PLEASE do everything the right way and get a legal divorce. It isn't something people think about often, but it does make the process after death a lot easier on not only our office and the funeral home, but also your surviving family.