Legal death is a government’s official recognition that a person has died and it usually requires issuing a death certificate. A doctor or other qualified person legally declares a person dead, although medical advances have made death more difficult to define. Sometimes, a person will be declared dead without remains or doctor’s declaration, such as when the person was known to be in mortal peril or if a person has not been seen for a certain period of time with no evidence that they are alive.

Here on LawServer you’ll find relevant state laws about death, and related legal Questions & Answers.