Who has legal rights over ashes?

The person entitled to possession of the body is the person who is under a duty to dispose of the body. A crematorium authority must hand over the ashes to the person who delivered the body for cremation.

Who owns a dead person’s ashes?

The ashes are given to the person who has applied for cremation with the funeral director. The ashes can be collected by the applicant directly from the crematorium or the applicant can nominate the funeral director to collect them on their behalf.

Who has rights to a dead body?

Although the right to a decent burial has long been recognized at common law, no universal rule exists as to whom the right of burial is granted. The right to possession of a dead human body for the purpose of burial is, under ordinary circumstances, in the spouse or other relatives of the deceased.

Who collect ashes after cremation?

funeral director
Ashes are usually passed on to the funeral director after the cremation for collection. If you have not employed the services of a funeral director, you’ll usually have up to 6 weeks to collect the ashes before being charged.

Is it illegal to keep someone’s ashes?

keeping them at home (the law requires that you sign a permit and agree not to remove the cremated remains from their container; you must also make arrangements to dispose of the ashes at your death) storing them at a church or other religious structure, if allowed by local zoning laws.

Who is legally classed as next of kin?

The term usually means your nearest blood relative. In the case of a married couple or a civil partnership it usually means their husband or wife. Next of kin is a title that can be given, by you, to anyone from your partner to blood relatives and even friends.

How long do cremation ashes last?

Cremains in the Ground In some settings, cremains are buried in the ground without either an urn or a tomb. The process for degrading is relatively short. Biodegradable urns speed the process but still may take up to twenty years to degrade. Once the biodegrade happens, the body will unite with the soil quickly.

Can a funeral director withhold ashes?

No, they can’t. Some funeral directors choose to hold ashes until the family pay the bill, but they are not allowed to. And non-payment does happen, funeral costs are substantial and families will often wish to show their respects by arranging a fitting send-off.

Can I Scatter my Loved One’s Ashes?

It’s also common for people to gather together at a later date to scatter their loved one’s ashes. Make sure you know the laws for scattering ashes before you meet to scatter your family member’s remains.

Who owns the body or ashes of a deceased person?

The surviving relatives or the Executor can only have a right to custody of the body or the ashes but this does not mean that the person “owns” them. This also means that they have a moral duty to make the funeral arrangements.

Who is entitled to collect the ashes of a child’s parents?

Even though both parents were next of kin and the child was in the care of his mother, only the father was entitled to collect the child’s ashes. This happened because the father was the one who signed the contract with the Funeral Directors and who paid the bills.

Where should the ashes of the boy be scattered?

However, it has been decided that the boy’s ashes should be scattered where his grandparent’s had been scattered because that was the place where they used to live together and it could therefore be the place where “all the family could have some focus”.