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Next of Kin

The nearest blood relative of a deceased.

The expression has come to describe those persons most related to a dead person and therefore set to inherit the decesased's property in that order of priority.

Most jurisdictions have issued statutes that fully recognize adopted children and even common law spouses and thus, in estate matters, the common law definition of "nearest blood relative" has lost much of its authority.

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Unless otherwise noted, this article was written by Lloyd Duhaime, Barrister, Solicitor, Attorney and Lawyer (and Notary Public!). It is not intended to be legal advice and you would be foolhardy to rely on it in respect to any specific situation you or an acquaintance may be facing. In addition, the law changes rapidly and sometimes with little notice so from time to time, an article may not be up to date. Therefore, this is merely legal information designed to educate the reader. If you have a real situation, this information will serve as a good springboard to get legal advice from a lawyer.

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