Get Next Of Kin Legal Form

A person's next of kin (NOK) may be that person's spouse, adopted family member or closest living blood relative.

In California, if the person has a spouse and/or children, the property first goes to them. If there is no spouse or children, the property goes to the person's next nearest relatives. In these cases, the court will appoint an administrator to manage and distribute the assets.

Even without a valid will, the probate court will appoint an estate representative.

The list includes spouses or domestic partners, siblings, adult children and grandchildren, parents, and an adult relative or close friend — in many cases, the people who brought in the patient for care in the first place.

Surviving spouses and children are first to qualify as direct heirs-at-law in California's Intestate Succession which orders the priority of heirs on how closely they are related to the decedent. Grand children would qualify as direct heirs only if their parents are deceased.

While it can vary by state, the next of kin order is generally: Your spouse. Your children and grandchildren (both biological and adopted) Your parents. Your siblings (some states prioritize full siblings over half-siblings, while other states consider them both equally)

There is a hierarchy which determines who is deemed closest to you as “next of kin.” Your spouse or civil partner comes first, then your children, then your parents, siblings, grandparents in that order.