Legal death

Legal death is the recognition under the law of a particular jurisdiction that a person is no longer alive.[1] In most cases, a doctor's declaration of death (variously called) or the identification of a corpse is a legal requirement for such recognition. A person who has been missing for a sufficiently long period of time (typically at least several years) may be presumed or declared legally dead, usually by a court. When a death has been registered in a civil registry, a death certificate may be issued.[2] Such death certificate may be required in a number of legal situations, such as applying for probate, claiming some benefits, or making an insurance claim.[3]

  1. ^ Lewis, Ariane (2017). "Shouldn't Dead Be Dead?: The Search for a Uniform Definition of Death". Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics. 45 (1): 112–128. doi:10.1177/1073110517703105. PMID 28661278. S2CID 4388540.
  2. ^ Gorman, W. F. (January 1985). "Medical diagnosis versus legal determination of death". Journal of Forensic Sciences. 30 (1): 150–157. doi:10.1520/JFS10975J. ISSN 0022-1198. PMID 3981105.
  3. ^ "Legal Death Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc". definitions.uslegal.com. Retrieved 2019-10-04.