54.1-2825 - Person to make arrangements for funeral and disposition of remains.

§ 54.1-2825. Person to make arrangements for funeral and disposition ofremains.

A. Any person may designate in a signed and notarized writing, which has beenaccepted in writing by the person so designated, an individual who shall makearrangements and be otherwise responsible for his funeral and the dispositionof his remains, including cremation, interment, entombment, ormemorialization, or some combination thereof, upon his death. Such designeeshall have priority over all persons otherwise entitled to make sucharrangements, provided that a copy of the signed and notarized writing isprovided to the funeral service establishment and to the cemetery, if any, nolater than 48 hours after the funeral service establishment has received theremains. Nothing in this section shall preclude any next of kin from payingany costs associated with any funeral or disposition of any remains, providedthat such payment is made with the concurrence of any person designated tomake arrangements.

B. In cases in which a person has designated in a U.S. Department of DefenseRecord of Emergency Data (DD Form 93) or any successor form an individual tomake arrangements for his funeral and disposition of his remains, and suchperson dies while serving in any branch of the United States Armed Forces asdefined in 10 U.S.C. § 1481, such designee shall be responsible for makingsuch arrangements.

(1989, c. 684; 1998, c. 718; 2010, cc. 324, 380.)