                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

AUTHORIZATION FOR INTERMENT (§ 57-27.3)

A cemetery may accept the notarized signature of one next of kin of a decedent
for the purpose of authorizing the interment or entombment, and for erecting a
memorial on the grave, crypt or niche, unless the cemetery is on written notice
that there exists a dispute between next of kin over such interment, entombment
or memorialization. In the case of such a dispute, the cemetery shall have no
obligation to perform the interment, entombment or memorialization until there
is agreement of all next of kin, or a court order adjudicating the issue among
all necessary parties.
		For purposes of this section, &#8220;next of kin&#8221; means any of the
following persons, regardless of the relationship to the decedent: any person
designated to make arrangements for the disposition of the decedent&#8217;s
remains upon his death pursuant to § 54.1-2825, the legal spouse, child over 18
years of age, custodial parent, noncustodial parent, siblings over 18 years of
age, guardian of minor child, guardian of minor siblings, maternal grandparents,
paternal grandparents, maternal siblings over 18 years of age and paternal
siblings over 18 years of age, or any other relative in the descending order of
blood relationship.

HISTORY: 2004, c. 247.